Dragons of the North Winds
by Mymomomo
Summary: The Hunter clan would stop at nothing to rid the world of dragons. But Ichigo, a young Hunter, isn't so sure that dragons are as bloodthirsty as they are made out to be. Desperate to save his family, he thought his destiny was to kill a dragon. Little did he know that his actual destiny would involve their riders.
1. The Dragon Story

**Thanks to Kuroneko Hikage for starting me off with this idea.**

 **It's gonna be a fun ride! But first some housekeeping matters**

 **\- All M-rated/Explicit scenes will be posted to my tumblr and linked in my profile.**

 **\- There will be vivid descriptions of blood, gore, battle, and animal harm in future chapters, proceed with caution.**

 **\- There will also be discussions of religion and faith.**

 **\- Dragons :)**

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They hadn't put them in chains, but Ichigo could feel heavy iron around his wrists and ankles anyway. The sky was threatening to burst; grey clouds hung heavy already leaking a few fat drops onto the leaf covered ground. The sound was covered up by the groaning of the cage wheels, each time they went over a stone or a tree root and the heavy footsteps of the giant boars, which pulled the cart along. A raindrop hit Ichigo right on the forehead; he wrinkled his nose and wiped it away. The air was sticky and hot and smelt of sweat, animals, and decaying leaves. Ichigo stared through the bars of the cage as it rolled along a hastily clear path through the forest. His entire body was covered in a layer of sweat; the leather of his boots was almost soaked through and his breechcloth stuck uncomfortably to his skin. He wouldn't cry – not in front of his mother; he'd promised her that he'd be strong. So he scowled at the back of the hunter's head, the one that was guiding the giant boars. There were four others, five in all, and all taller and bigger than any man he had seen before. Their breechcloths were stained with blood, dirt, and something that looked like grease. He hated hunters. He hated how they raided smaller tribes, caused wars, and captured travellers to turn them into slaves. He hated how they looked at his mother and sisters and had shoved them into the cage with mean grins that showed crooked teeth.

"Ichigo," his mother hissed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Not so close."

"I'm not scared of them," he grumbled, but crawled back to her anyway. Karin and Yuzu were huddled against her side, watching the hunters with big, frightened eyes from under the bear-skin cloak thrown over them. Ichigo puffed out his chest and sat down in front of them. He'd protect them. He wouldn't let the hunters harm a single hair on either of their heads.

One of the hunters looked into the cage and laughed, bellowing something in their language. Ichigo snarled at him and the hunter came closer as the boars were guided to a halt. The cage jerked and stopped and the hunter placed a meaty fist around one of the bars. Ichigo stared at his long, yellow fingernails and bulging muscles then to the giant sword strapped across his back. He was covered in dirt, but smudges of bright, red war paint showed through on his face and chest. It looked like blood. Suddenly Ichigo didn't feel so brave.

His mother wrapped and arm around his shoulders and pulled him against her side.

The hunter laughed, then spoke in accented trade tongue. "The small cub needs to learn his strength. If you challenge me, you die."

"I'm not scared of you," Ichigo shouted. His mother pulled him closer to her, shushing him.

The hunter laughed again. "You should be."

The hunters made camp, setting up a fire despite the impending rain. They settled amongst the buttress trees, not caring for any more cover than what was naturally there. Ichigo's father had told him that being out in the open was dangerous and the first thing that he needed to do while he was out in the forest was find shelter. He'd learnt that when he was younger than his sisters, on his first hunting trip. The hunters were probably strong enough not to care. The thought made his stomach feel funny and he squirmed against his mother's side. She held him tightly and kissed the top of his head. One of the hunters was skinning a large bear that they had killed earlier and another had left the band to scout the area, the rest were talking loudly in their language. Ichigo huffed softly. He didn't like not knowing what was going to happen. He had been taught to avoid the hunters at all costs, but what now. He looked to his mother. His face was grim; lips drawn tightly downwards and her eyes looked cold.

"Mama?" he whispered, "what's going to happen to us?"

Karin and Yuzu perked up at the question. Their mother smiled sadly and shook her head. "We will be safe; the Great Cynosure will guide us."

Ichigo looked up. The bit of sky he could see from between the leaves was cover in clouds. He didn't see how the stars, even the father of the stars, could keep them safe when they were hidden. He heard stories of what hunters did to the people they caught. They would be turned into slaves, or killed for fun. He picked a splinter from the bottom of the cage and banged his heels against the wood.

"Mama, I want to go home," Yuzu whimpered, tears forming in her eyes.

"We can't go home, Yu." Ichigo's tongue felt heavy in his mouth

"Why not?"

He swallowed thickly and turned to the hunters. "We just can't."

"Mama?" There was panic in her voice.

"Ichigo," his mother warned, stroking Yuzu's hair to soothe her.

Ichigo folded his arms across his chest and went back to staring at the hunters. They were still talking and throwing around a water skin that Ichigo knew wasn't filled with water. One of them jerked his thumb to the cage and mumbled something, causing the rest of them to laugh. Ichigo didn't know why but he felt his cheeks heat and he shrunk back against his mother.

"Will Papa come save us?" Yuzu asked.

Ichigo watched his mother's expression tighten. Papa hadn't been home in over a year; he didn't know that they were in trouble. And he wouldn't be able to take on five hunters by himself either.

"We'll save ourselves," Ichigo said, trying to act much braver than he felt. At least he got his mother to smile a bit. Even Karin grinned, sitting up and letting the pelt slide from her shoulders. But, he didn't know how they could escape this. They didn't have any weapons, except the small knife he kept in his boot to skin rabbits and sometimes leant to Yuzu to help their mother chop vegetables. The hunters' swords were taller than him and looked like they could chop off a great elk's head in one swing. They looked a bit banged up, cracked and caked with dried blood, but they still looked sharp enough to kill without much effort. Ichigo swallowed thickly.

They were given meat that was overcooked and didn't taste of anything. Ichigo's throat was almost too dry to swallow, but his mother had told him to eat it; they didn't know when next they were going to have a meal. When the sky began to darken, and night began to fall Yuzu and Karin were herded back under the bear skin, but Ichigo didn't want to go to sleep. He couldn't.

"Ichigo," his mother whispered, motioning him to her side, "you need your rest."

He shook his head and looked up. He couldn't tell what was lead, branch, or sky and the air was still hot and sticky. "Where are they taking us?" he asked.

His mother sighed. "Back to the rest of their tribe."

"We're slaves now, aren't we?"

She checked to see if the twins were asleep. "If we do as they say, they won't harm us."

Ichigo clenched his jaw, feeling his eyes start to prickle. "I don't like this. I want to go home. I want Papa..."

She pulled him against her, wrapping both arms around his shoulders. "We will be safe, I promise you, Ichigo."

He swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat. He wouldn't cry; crying helped nothing. His mother hugged his tightly, but instead of making him feel better, he felt worse.

The hunter that had left the group to scout the forest close by came back and motioned to the others. There was a wild grin on his face and he was fingering the edge of his sword. He said something to the others and jerking his head back to the forest.

"Draconis,"

Ichigo perked up. He couldn't understand the hunter tongue, but that word had sounded like dragon. He turned to his mother to see that she was listening to the hunters now as well.

"Dragons?" he asked quietly. "Do you think they mean Papa?"

His mother hushed him again. He scowled slightly, but did as he was told. Two of the hunters stood up and picked up their weapons, chuckling like mad people. Ichigo felt sick; he didn't like the way they were laughing. He had never seen a dragon before, but he knew that his father had talked about meeting one called Engetsu long time ago. He had heard that they were fearsome creatures that could destroy an entire tribe in one breath of fire, and could effortlessly carry giant boars into the sky. They grew bigger than the great elks or the behemoths of the north with their tusks as wide as a man's waist. They sometimes made nests in this area, and the eggs were as big as his head. He couldn't imagine that someone, not even a hunter, would be laughing if they found one.

He turned to his mother again. She was eyeing the remaining two hunters. Ichigo looked from her to them. They seemed on edge, their eyes fixed on the place where the others had gone. He didn't have to wait long to figure out why. There was an ear splitting roar from the forest. The trees shook and hundreds of birds squawked, fluttering from their perches. Ichigo's eyes widened and Karin and Yuzu woke up. The hunters jumped to their feet and grabbed their weapons before dashing off into the forest. Ichigo watched them leave feeling both excited and scared. He crawled back to the bars and wrapped his hands around them.

"What was that?" Karin asked looking around more in surprise than fear.

Ichigo grinned. "A dragon!"

Karin's eyes widened and Yuzu gasped and looked to their mother.

She nodded in response and got to her knees, letting the bear pelt slide away to reveal a rusty bunch of keys.

"Mama?" Ichigo asked, watching as she crawled to the padlock keeping them enclosed. He tilted his head, when had she stolen them from the hunters? He hadn't even seen her take them. Was that why she had been so calm this whole time? He felt his chest swell with pride. No one played around with his Mama.

"Quickly, sweetlings."

The padlock fell open with a loud clang and the cage door squeaked on rusty hinges. Ichigo grabbed Karin and Yuzu by their hands and made his way after his mother. The four of them ran through the forest in the darkness, occasionally Ichigo stumbled over a tree root. Night insects buzzed and chirped, and there were sounds of battle from behind them; hunters yelling and crunching leaves. Then the trees behind them were lit up with a bright orange flame, plants crackled and snapped and a few animals called out. Ichigo could feel the heat on his back. Yuzu whimpered and Karin squealed in delight. He held on to his sisters more tightly as his mother urged them to go faster.

There was another roar, louder than the first. It hurt Ichigo's ears. He chanced another look behind but it was too dark to see much. There was another flash of heat and the smell of burning wood and earth filled his nose. He swallowed thickly, looking up to his mother.

"Don't look back," she instructed.

He nodded firmly and squeezed Karin and Yuzu hands to tell them they were going to be fine. This couldn't be any worse than being captured by hunters. At least now they were free. Then there was another roar – a softer, higher one – from the direction that they were running to. His mother froze. There were two dragons. Ichigo was silent as she looked to her left then to her right. Smoke was billowing from the trees behind them.

"Mama!" Yuzu began to cry.

Ichigo attempted to hush her, but then his mother knelt down and scooped both Karin and Yuzu into her arms. Ichigo followed her as she turned sharply to her left. They ran to a small stream, splashing through the water then continued on until Ichigo's lungs were on fire. His mother stopped soon after that.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo," she said stooping down and placing Karin and Yuzu back on their feet.

He hunched over with his hands on his knees.

"Take your sisters and hide."

"What about you?"

She pulled him into a tight hug and he felt her kiss his forehead. "I will be back for you. Let the Great Cynosure, keep you safe."

"Mama?"

"Be strong, Ichigo, and watch out for your sisters."

His chest felt tight again, as he watched her kiss his sisters.

"Hide," she instructed and with that she slowly stalked off.

Ichigo took a deep breath, puffing out his chest to act brave for his sisters, but he did not feel brave at all. He grabbed their hands and held on tightly, not knowing where to begin. His mother had left them before and she had always come back, sometimes with food, or a new pelt to keep them warm, and the last time she had brought Ichigo back his hunting knife.

"Ichi," Karin muttered, "over there."

She was pointing to a tree stump not too far away. He nodded and guided them towards it. The stump was hollow, the rest of the tree had fallen long ago, but the roots were deep. There was just enough room for the three of them and the thick buttress made good enough cover. They hadn't been sitting long when the rain finally fell. The noise was almost deafening, drowning out Ichigo's own breathing. He rested the back of his head against the stump and closed his eyes, concentrating. It would be hard to tell if anything was sneaking up on them, but he had to stay alert.

And he was glad he did when he heard the squelching sound of footsteps on sodden ground. He signalled Karin and Yuzu to keep quiet with a finger over his lips and he reached down to grasp his knife.

"Where are you, little cubs?" The hunter's shout was clear over the sound of the rain.

Ichigo stiffened.

"You cannot escape a hunter!"

Ichigo prepared himself. He knew that he couldn't stand up against a hunter, but he had to protect his sisters. Blood pounded in his ears and he slowly got up, about to crawl from the stump when a low growl stopped him. He instantly drew back and covered his mouth with both hands. Karin and Yuzu did the same. He didn't stand a chance against a hunter and he would never dream of facing a dragon. His heart was racing and his stomach was tight.

He heard the hunter shout something in his language. There were heavy footsteps and the growling grew louder. The hunter gave a fierce battle cry and the dragon roared. There was the sound of a scuffle, grunts and growls both human and beast. The vibrations from the movements make the stump shake.

Ichigo dared not to move, but wrapped his arms around his sisters and prayed that the Cynosure would keep them safe. He didn't know who he wanted to win; both options seemed grim. But either way he would have to wait until the fight was over to try to escape.

...

Morning had broken when Ichigo crawled out of the hollow stump. He hadn't been able to sleep, not with all the noise and the rain that leaked through the rotting wood. Even after the sounds of the fight had stopped, he kept still unable to rest. Karin and Yuzu were both still fast asleep, tired out from the excitement of last night. They were cuddled together and Ichigo kissed both of them gently on the top of their heads before crawling out from the stump. A fine mist covered the ground, chilling Ichigo's bare skin as he wandered around. There were signs of a fight, scarred trees, broken shrubs, and marks on the ground, footprints, skid marks, and small pools of discoloured, bloody water. There were no signs of either the hunter or the dragon. That calmed him slightly. Maybe they killed each other. Still, he pulled his knife from his boot and held it at the ready. He wouldn't be caught off guard ever again. He circled the stump two, three times before deciding that both the hunter and the dragon were long gone.

He should go look for his mother, but he couldn't leave his sisters by themselves. He huffed, wrapping his arms around his stomach and gazed off into the forest. He hopped that she would come back soon. His throat felt tight and he wanted to sit down among the ferns and cry. His bit his bottom lip; he had promised his mother that he would be strong. He took a few deep breaths then turned around to wake his sisters. He would need to explain to them what was going on. He took one last look around, hoping that his mother would appear from around one of the trees instead there was a slithering noise and heavy footsteps from behind him. He spun around; brandishing his knife it at whatever was trying to sneak up on him. Instead, he found himself face to face with a dragon. His mind yelled at him for not checking his surroundings properly. In the forest there were no mistakes.

He didn't dare to move, hoping that Karin and Yuzu would stay put in the hollow stump. The dragon growled low in its throat. Amber eyes glowed in the dim morning light, but the rest of it was as dark as fresh coal and blended into the shadows. The scales were rough and slightly raised, like a swamp gator, and had a slight sheen to them; some shone blood red, and others charcoal grey. And it was big, bigger than a giant boar. Ichigo swallowed thickly and stared back at it. The breath from its nose ruffled his hair and was hot, like the air surrounding a fire. For a long moment neither of them moved, but as the growling grew softer, Ichigo felt himself grow less afraid. The longer he stared into the dragon's eyes the calmer he felt. He couldn't explain it. The dragon inched closer lowering its head to the ground at Ichigo's feet. Ichigo stretched out pressing his fingertips to its nose. The scales there were smaller and smoother and almost soft, like a deer's lips. The dragon lazily blinked an eye and pushed its snout against Ichigo's hand. He smiled.

"You protected us last night. You kept the hunter away from us didn't you?" he asked softly. The dragon grunted then flopped to the ground as if suddenly too tired to keep standing. Ichigo chuckled scratching the scales between its nostrils. "Thank you."

The dragon blinked slowly at him and let out a long sigh and rolled onto its side. It was a bit smaller than a great elk excluding the antlers – their shoulders were taller than a grown man with antlers towering above flags that some tribes put on top of their tents. It didn't have antlers, but a pair of shiny, black, stubby horns poked from the scales behind its ears. The spines along its back were the same colour and though longer than the horns, they looked stubby as well. It probably had some growing to do. Its feet looked too big for the rest of it, and its limbs were a bit too long, similar to how young hunting dogs looked – all paws and gangly legs.

"Did you lose your mama, too?" he asked, there had been two dragons last night and unless dragons normally travelled in pairs, it would make sense that a young dragon would stay close to its mama. The dragon didn't respond this time, but its breathing had evened out. Ichigo covered his mouth with a soft gasp; it had fallen asleep. He tilted his head and slowly got up. Karin and Yuzu were going to be surprised when they saw the dragon. Well, Karin might be more excited than scared, but Yuzuz definitely wouldn't like it. He quietly walked around the dragon transfixed by the way the sunlight, glinted off some of its scales. The spines turned into a dark red once they got to its tail. He held back a laugh, when he found out that its feet looked like chickens' own, but instead of four toes it had five. He knelt down to examine the back legs. The claws looked dangerous and were serrated like a cooking knife. Dragons were definitely creatures made for hunting – all covered in hard scales, spines, and claws. The scales on its belly were smoother and smaller than on its back, in fact the only part of it not covered in scales were its wings. They were folded tightly against its side and tipped with small, black spines at the joints. He couldn't reach them from this angled, but they looked like leather. He brached himself on its thigh, to reach up to try to touch them but stopped and sat back on his heels upon discovering a bit of red in between the scales next to where he had put his hand. He frowned, following the trail until he discovered a laceration right below its hip. A few scales had been ripped away completely and the rest around the wound were jagged. He clenched his jaw; this was definitely a sword wound. The bleeding had stopped, but there was still a chance that it could be infected.

"Did a hunter do this to you?"

The dragon had woken up and was craning its neck to see what Ichigo was doing. It blinked at him then went back to sleeping. Ichigo scratched the back of his neck. If dragons worked the same way humans did then he could dress the wound like his mother had taught him. It was the least he could do after it had saved them last night.

Dragons were strange creatures. They were so rarely seen that some people believed that they were myths. And the ones that were seen were feared. Long ago before Ichigo's great great great _great_ grandfather was even a sparkle in his parents' eyes, dragons used were as common as giant boars. They were strong and proud, with hard scales that none but the sharpest spears could piece. They could breath fire hot enough that it would burn for weeks and even through rain. And they were vicious. People used to be afraid of dragons, more afraid than they were now, afraid that they would burn down their tents and steal their children. They were blood thirsty creatures that hunted people for their own amusement. Until a band of dragon hunters was formed. The strongest men and women from tribes across the Obrijan forest came together to protect themselves from the dragons. They made weapons strong enough to kill them, and traps and cages that could stand up against their strength and size. It took decades of bloodshed, but the hunter clan rose to power as the dragons lost theirs. And the Obrijan celebrated.

But Ichigo knew differently; his father wasn't scared of dragons and had taught Ichigo about them before he disappeared. Dragons were predators, but they were no different than sabre tigers, or northern timber wolves. They were more dangerous because of their size and their ability to breathe fire. But, they were not the bloodthirsty hunters that the tales made them out to be. The hunters had done damage to their numbers: killing indiscriminately, destroying nests, killing hatchlings, and smashing eggs. They set traps in places where they knew dragons frequented; it didn't matter how far away from villages they were. Now, it was the hunters who were feared. With the dragons on decline the hunters had turned against their own people. The people who they had once vowed to protect.

Ichigo cleaned out the dragon's wound and chewed a few plants until they were a mushy paste. The dragon remained on its side, but looked at Ichigo, blinking slowly. He packed the wound lightly with the paste, causing the dragon to flinch and grunt. He expected it to snap at him and run away, but it remained calm. Last night he hadn't known which one to be more scared of, the hunter or the dragon. Now, he realised how foolish that thought had been.

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 **I'm excited to start this new project.**

 **Reviews are welcome.**

 **-Mymomomo**


	2. The Hunters

**Remember that warning for animal harm?**

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"Watch where you're going, Sceyh."

Ichigo was roughly shoved to the side, nearly dropping his armful of spears as he tripped over a partially exposed root. He ground his teeth together, but hung his head and waited for the man to go on his way. He knew better than to challenge a Trelis. Though, just by looking at the man's bulging gut – he could barely make out his breechcloth under the roll of fat – he knew that he could take him in a fight. The rest of the tribe would be outraged, however. He would lose even if he won. Being shoved wasn't a valid reason to start a fight. He cursed the brown paint that he was forced to wear on his arms, chest, and face. It marked him as a Sceyh, the lowest class of warriors in the Hunter tribe. He was a step up from a slave, but sometimes treated no better. So, he kept his eyes to the ground until he was sure that the man had gone on his way, then adjusted the spears in his arms and continued on to the storage tent. His arms were already sore from that morning's training, from withstanding a couple of tyro-warrior's sloppy blows. At the end of the practice all the dull spears and training swords were shoved into his arms, and the rest of the group left without a word.

The storage tent was communal and thankfully almost always empty. Ichigo stacked the spears in a neat pile and set the swords beside them. He stretched his arms above his head, a few joints popped satisfyingly. The air inside the tent was musty thanks to the humidity outside, but he thought that it was better than the certain stink that most Hunters carried around. He slowly walked around the piles of odds and ends. An old helephant tusk that was sometimes used as a horn during celebrations, jars upon jars of spices that were probably stolen during a raid, dusty pelts, old eating bowls and empty storage jars. The Hunters used to be nomadic, but they hadn't moved for a while, at least not since Ichigo joined the clan. He doubted that they could move all of this stuff anyway. The clan chief had even started to build up his tent by adding a wooden floor and additional rooms. He didn't think that they were going anywhere anymore. That was good, it meant less raids on other tribes. Less war and death. They still sent out small bands of warriors made up of mainly Summas and Drangas, sometimes a Trelis or two. They returned with slaves, animals, and other spoils.

A sudden round of yelling from outside jarred him from his musing. His head whipped around to the entrance and he saw flashes of shadows as people began jumping up and down. A celebration? He frowned, wondering who had killed what – or who – this time. Two children brushed past him as he stepped out of the tent. The tribe was gathering along the pathway which lead to the centre of the village. He followed, a bit curious; another brawl wouldn't have gathered such attention. He managed to find a spot that wasn't too crowded and froze upon turning his eyes to the middle of the path.

Ichigo felt sick to his stomach as he watched two heavily muscled Trelises dragged their kill through the village, sweat mixed with their blue paint as it dripped down their bodies. The rest of the tribe lined the rows between the tents, cheering and screaming in celebration of the kill. The smell of blood hung in the air and Ichigo tried to make himself as small and invisible as possible. He hated when the Hunters did this; usually parading kills through the village was reserved for the larger prey like great elks. Prey that could feed the tribe for weeks and left blood stains on the earth that would take months of rain and people walking about to erase. It was a barbaric tradition, but the Hunters were a barbaric tribe. The sound of chains clanking and a body being dragged across the ground mixed with the tribe's cheers seemed to be magnified in the late afternoon's heat. His stomach churned as he raised his head, expecting to see the bloodied fur of an elk, but his breath caught in his throat and his chest clenched.

It wasn't an elk. It was a dragon.

He wanted to wretch at the sight. It didn't look that old; it wasn't terribly big and its scales were small and smooth – un-weathered by travel, battle, or other trials of life. Ichigo clenched his jaw; the dragon hadn't been a threat, not to the tribe or to anyone; they weren't threats anymore. He watched with growing anger as it was dragged along by a rusty iron chain clamped around its broken neck. There was a gaping hole in its chest, blood seeping between deep green scales and trickling onto the ground. One of its wings was twisted, bent back and dragging against the ground, and a few of its spines were missing. He hoped that it had put up a good fight before it went down. And he scanned the warriors dragging it for any injuries. But then, he spotted something that had him gnashing his teeth and balling his palms into fists.

Eggs. They were carrying eggs – each the size of a man's head and as shiny as polished stones. One Hunter held two and another one followed holding a third above her head and shouting in celebration. That dragon had been a nesting mother; this had probably been her first brood, judging by how young she looked. He had to turn away. That was four dragons taken from an already scarce species. He closed his eyes – lest he see red and jump into the parade to save the eggs. He would be killed instantly if he did that. Those eggs were someone else's kill. Stealing them would be an offence punishable by death; he had heard that law repeated over and over. He had seen mean fight to the death in Tova combats over stealing prey. He took a deep breath and turned back to the parade. But instead of watching it he stared at the ground, at the blood soaking into the dry dirt and the scratch marks left by rough scales and claws. He knew that he wouldn't be able to get the image out of his head for seasons to come.

The crowd pushed him along, forcing him to follow the Hunters to the clearing in the centre of the tribe. The chief usually presided over the Tova in this space, training sessions took place here, marriages, trials, tribe meetings, and when an animal large enough to share amongst the tribe was caught, a huge fire was built to cook it in front of everyone. A few selected Sceyhs were already building a fire, setting up logs and dried grass in the middle of the clearing. They had brought out the war drums, carved out of tree trunks that spanned two men wide and covered in elk hide. The drummers beat a heavy rhythm that had Ichigo's head throbbing, and dancers in colourful, giant masks carved from wood jumped and spun around the fire pit. He wrapped his arms around himself as he was jostled and shoved, pressed up against sweaty, dusty bodies that were howling joyously and jumping in time with the drums. He looked up to the sky, the first stars of the night already twinkled at him and he wanted to sneer in response. The stars were supposed to guide and look out for the creatures of the Obrijan, and yet another dragon had been slain.

Dragon Hunters were a race of eons past. There was no use for them when dragons themselves were becoming creatures of myth. They ran from humans rather than attack them. They kept to themselves. Ichigo pushed his way to the edge of the crowd. If tradition didn't dictate that he be present for the celebratory fire he would have gone back to his tent or taken up his sword and made quick work of a tree or two. He raked a hand through his hair and went to stand as far away as was acceptable. Sceyhs were expected to be furthest away from the fire anyway, at least until they had earned the respect of the tribe. He had never wanted to be at the centre of attention anyway.

The drum beat grew faster and Ichigo could picture the Hunters preparing to set the dragon on fire. His stomach turned, feeling like he had eaten spoilt meat or drank dirty water. Smoke rose up from the centre of the crowd and the cheers grew almost deafening. Ichigo kept his gaze focused on his stained, leather moccasins and worn leggings. Though, his breathing quickened each time the fire crackled and a log snapped from the heat. He ground his teeth together as he heard a loud crash, signifying that they had thrown the dragon into the fire. He wanted nothing more than to run away. He wanted nothing to do with this sickening ritual. He would put up with it when it was another animal, one that could be used for food, or for its hide or horns, but not this. This was just senseless killing. Wasn't it enough that they had killed the dragon? They didn't have to burn her body as they sang and danced around the putrid flames. He knew that they would crack the eggs with rocks, sometime during the celebration. He wouldn't be able to stomach watching that.

A small hand was threaded into his and he nearly jumped before he realised that it was his sister. She was chewing her bottom lip, brown eyes watery.

"Don't let them see you cry, Yu," he mumbled in the trade tongue. Less people were likely to understand.

She hung her head and scrubbed at her eyes with her free hand. He saw her shoulders heave with a deep breath before she looked up, forcing herself to focus on the dark smoke, and clenched her jaw.

"Three eggs," she muttered, also in Trade. "Three lives that will never see the light of day." Her eyes flashed. "That's three more times I will never forgive this tribe. And once more for the mother."

Ichigo shook his head. "Not here." His tongue felt too heavy for his mouth and the smell of the smoke was suffocating. "Here we celebrate."

The three Kurosakis had been living a lie. Ichigo didn't think he was very convincing; he was still a Sceyh at the age of twenty-one, even though he could hold his own against men classes above his. The Hunters called him coward and faker, but he wouldn't let that bother him. He had made a choice at nine years of age, and had regretted it almost every day since.

He had waited and waited, but his mother had not come back that night twelve years ago. He had tried his best to be strong, taking care of his sisters – finding them food and shelter, but winter was fast approaching and although the Obrijan never snowed as heavy as the lands of the north he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep both himself and his sisters alive. He had sought out the nearest tribe, but the tribe had turned out to be Hunters. He remembered thinking long and hard. His mother had risked her life get them away from the Hunters. But they couldn't survive on their own and he didn't know how long it would take to find another tribe. So, he had chased away the black dragon that had helped him by throwing rocks and yelling until his voice broke and he started to cry. The look it gave his he would never forget, those huge, sorrowful, amber eyes stared at him confused and fearful. He had allowed himself a few moments to mourn. Then he went to the Hunters. They had made him fight for his first meal, throwing him in a pen with two starving chickens and an angry war hound. He had killed animals before, but never in front of a crowd and ever before had anyone cheered as his knife tore through feathers, fur, and flesh. It made him feel sick. He killed because he had to, not because he thought it was fun. But the Hunters seemed to take pleasure in blood, battles, war, and killing. He had known from that moment that he would never fit in with the tribe. But he had been given a tent and some furs for his sisters, so he buried what his mother had taught him at the back of his mind and pretended to be one of the Hunters. To this day it still made him sick.

Yuzu was angry, furious even, when they got back to their tent. She was usually the mildest mannered of the three, but tonight she went around their tent in a huff. Ichigo watched her silently, unsure of what to say to make her feel better. He was mending a hole in his leggings – he would need leather for a new pair soon, but before that Karin needed a new tunic. He bit the thread with his teeth after tying a knot and set the fishbone needle and thread to the side. Karin was also watching Yuzu, chewing the inside of her cheek and tapping her fingers against her sheathed sword.

"Yuzu, we need to talk about it," she said at length.

Yuzu took a deep breath and wiped the smudged, brown paint from her face. "I know."

Ichigo frowned; they weren't talking about the dragon and her eggs. "What happened?"

Yuzu turned to him, her gaze was hard. Ichigo's frown deepened and he felt every muscle in his body tense.

"I was... proposed to."

Ichigo's mind drew blank for a few heartbeats. Karin's fingers tapping echoed loudly in the silence of the tent. Yuzu's jaw was clenched tightly and she was wringing the hem of her tunic. Proposed to. Proposed marriage. A tight knot formed in Ichigo's chest at the same time he started to feel cold all over.

"By who?"

Karin's tapping sped up.

"Oswon."

Ichigo drew in a deep breath trough his nose. He knew the man, a Sceyh like them, but as bloodthirsty as the rest of the Hunters and with none of the skill. He had seen him in battle a scant few times, but he was at every village feast and festival, shoving the other Sceyhs to get to the food and drink. Ichigo had seen him more drunk that sober; there was no question as to why he was part of the lowest class.

Yuzu was not going to marry him.

"You can't-"

"I wasn't planning to," Yuzu cut him off sharply.

Karin's tapping stopped suddenly. "But you can't beat him either."

Yuzu's shoulders sagged. Ichigo's body grew colder. Yuzu had the right to decline the proposal, but that had to be done through Tova. Any woman had to fight for herself the same as a man did. Oswon was asking for her life; she had to prove that she could take it back. She had five sunrises after the question was asked to decide. There weren't many spontaneous proposals in the tribe as the answer was either marriage or combat, and it was also a reason why the classes didn't mix. It wasn't impossible to marry up a class, but Hunters didn't like to marry anyone much weaker than themselves. Marrying weaker was seen as shameful.

Ichigo hunched over and rubbed his temples. Oswon knew that asking Yuzu would be an easy way out. She did not have the strength to say no. He already had a low opinion about the man, but now that he wanted to force Yuzu's hand he was disgusted at the mere thought of him. He knew he wouldn't treat her well either, the marriage would be ruined from the start. He had thought that Yuzu would be safe. Hunters wanted strong wives, wives who could go into battle with them, who could compete with men and win. Yuzu carried around a long knife but it was just for show. He had never seen her use it and he knew that she had never wanted to touch a sword in her life. No Hunter would dream of marrying her, or would even look her way. He had thought that he would be having the problem with Karin, but he knew that she could hold her own against the other Sceyhs and a few Kiths as well.

He turned to face Yuzu, looking down at her thin arms and small hands. He could teach her how to use her knife, but they didn't have long to prepare.

"Oswon is big, but he isn't strong," he said in comfort.

Yuzu looked down at her lap, her shoulders began to tremble. Karin rushed to her side and put an arm around her. The back of Ichigo's throat tasted bitter. He stood up, clenching his fists and headed outside, only stopping to grab his sword.

"Ichigo," Karin called sharply, "don't do anything foolish."

He looked over his shoulder at them and shook his head. He wouldn't. Not tonight at least. He only returned to the tent once his hands were sore and bloody and a few trees had lost their bark. He would need to borrow Karin's whet stone in the morning. The twins were sleeping when he got back, curled up together like they used to do when they were younger. A small smile flickered across Ichigo's face as he cleaned up as best as he could in the dim light of the embers in the fire pit. He bandaged his hands and sat down on his sleeping mat of dried grass and pelts and tried to come up with a plan. They could run away, but he knew, with nesting season upon them, the Hunters had scouts all over the forest already searching for dragons. They would be found and executed as deserters. It was not his place to attack Oswon either. He could kill him, but the punishment for killing out of battle or Tova was death. And who would protect the twins then? He dug his fingers into his hair and pulled. There had to be a way out. Yuzu could not marry this man; he would end up killing her before long. He could think of nothing. He fell sideways on to his mat. Even after hacking away at the trees he still wanted to hurt something. He drove his fist into the straw, feeling compacted earth beneath. He couldn't think of anything. There was no way out.

They would have to teach her to fight. And hope that Oswon would be drunk during the Tova.

...

Oswon made the mistake of jeering at Yuzu when the three Kurosakis were together the next morning. Yuzu ignored him, but his voice grated Ichigo's nerves. He had to focus on not attacking the pig of a man. He almost succeeded.

"Listen to me," Oswon slurred already drunk, or on his way there. When Yuzu continued to ignore him, he bumbled over and grabbed her arm. Ichigo reached for his sword, but Karin grabbed his hand, with a firm shake of her head, even though he was also holding her own sword. The colour had drained from Yuzu's face, but Ichigo was relieved to see her fingers twitch towards her knife.

"You're lucky that I proposed to marry you," Oswon continued. "No one else would want someone as weak as you. I'm doing your family a favour-"

Ichigo didn't know how it happened, but he found himself forced to the ground by several Hunters. He tasted dirt and blood in his mouth and he was yelling every curse he knew both in the Trade and Hunter tongue. Oswon was also on the ground beside him, but he wasn't moving. Ichigo hoped that he was dead.

...

He was forced to his knees as the chief strode up to him. His arms were crudely bound behind his back but he shoved the woman holding him away and snarled at her. He would have gotten to his knees by himself. The sun beat down on his bare back and neck and he kept his gaze to the ground out of respect. He didn't want to put himself or the twins into any more trouble. A sizeable crowd had formed around him, but no one spoke. Ichigo could see his sisters out of the corner of his eyes. They were also being watched by a pair of Dranga. He clenched his teeth together.

The chief stopped in front of him, flanked by the three strongest Dranga warriors covered in white paint. Ichigo stared at their dusty moccasins, as sweat began to form at the back of his neck.

"Your name, Sceyh," The chief boomed.

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

"And your offence."

Ichigo ground his teeth. "I fought a clansman."

The chief hummed, a deep rumbling noise. "Were is the other?"

"He is recovering," the Summa woman holding Ichigo spoke up, "he was in no condition to be before you, Chief."

"You did this?" The chief asked. "Why would you attack one of your own tribe?"

Ichigo dug his fingernails into his palms. "It was not unprovoked. He... he...my sister," Ichigo's throat tightened in anger. He stopped talking and stared at the dirt.

One of the Drangas stepped up to the chief and muttered something into his ear. "I see. Can your sister not fight for herself? You insult her by taking her battle from her."

"No!" Ichigo roared. There were a few mutters of astonishment from the crowd. "He knew that she could not say no, he knew that she could not match him. He gave her no choice!"

"Where is the sister?"

Yuzu was dragged out of the crowd and forced to her knees beside him. Ichigo could feel her shaking and he wanted nothing more to reach out and comfort her.

"This is not her fault-" Ichigo started.

"Silence, Sceyh," The woman holding him kicked him in the back. He fell forward, just managing to turn his face to the side and prevent from breaking his nose.

"Ichigo!" Yuzu cried, but she was silenced with a harsh shove as well.

"Your family are outsiders, but that does not excuse your actions-"

"I will not stand by and let my family be harmed. I will defend her with all that I have." Ichigo said through a clenched jaw. "That pig, Oswon, chose her only because she cannot beat him."

"Then it is her fate."

Ichigo struggled to get up to his knees. He raised his head, daring to stare the Chief straight in the eye. "I put my family before myself. If your sister was doomed to marry a lazy, pig, who runs from battle, would you stand by? Because of fate."

The Chief stared back at him. Long, greasy hair, fell past his shoulders tangling with the necklaces of teeth and bone around his neck – most of them dragon's. His elk-skin mantle was stained dark and the hem was covered in dirt. It was hard to read his face, covered in gold paint, his skin worn and leathery, but his eyes showed amusement. The Dranga warriors looked ready to kill him on the spot for disrespecting the Chief in such a way, but he held up his hand and they sheathed their swords.

"My sisters would never be so weak."

Ichigo ground his teeth together.

"But the actions of the other, Oswon Euda, were also shameful." He turned to the crowd. "There is no honour in backing another into a corner. There is no honour in taking away another's choice."

"Chief-" The woman started.

"Do you any merits of a union between Oswon Euda and Yuzu Kurosaki? Would that marriage help the tribe?"

"I do not see the fruit of such union," she said bitterly. "Neither would be able to rise from a Sceyh."

The chief grumbled and jerked his head in a nod before turning back to Ichigo.

"You are strong, Ichigo. Strong but untested. You have insulted our traditions, but you did have just reason. I am willing to let you fight for your sister," he eyed the crowd, "for both of you sisters, if you are able to prove yourself."

Ichigo held his breath. Now Karin was involved. His stomach churned violently. They were going to make him kill, make him fight, possibly many people, maybe a Dranga.

"Our tribe are called Hunters and I am sure you know the reason why. To prove yourself worthy of your family's honour, of your skill, and to absolve yourself of your crime against your clansman you are to kill a dragon – and adult dragon – and bring back its head."

He heard Yuzu gasp softly beside him. The crowd began to jeer. He couldn't, this was going to be a death sentence. It had taken seven Trelis warriors to take down the dragon yesterday. Two of them did not make it back. He also would never kill a dragon – the clan did not know this, but Yuzu and Karin did. He could not bring himself to.

He stared at the chief, a smug grin growing on his face. He knew that it was a death sentence. He was only pretending to give him a chance; he didn't expect Ichigo to succeed. Ichigo clenched his jaw and scowled.

"I accept." He would figure it out later.

"You have until the north winds blow and the morning dew begins to frost. You will bring the tribe a head, or you and your sisters will be executed."

...

Ichigo had been permitted to go back to his tent to get ready to leave. He would have to be gone by morning or the agreement was forfeit. Karin had quickly made a small fire in the pit and began to brew some tea. Ichigo recognised the blend of herbs – lavender and chamomile to relieve anxiety. They would need that. Yuzu went about to prepare dinner, but it was obvious that her mind was leagues away. When she almost cut herself cutting up some dried rabbit, Karin took over. Yuzu watched her with glazed over eyes, but when Ichigo went to comfort her she punched him in the arm.

"Don't you ever think, Ichigo!"

"I wasn't going to let you marry that disgusting fool. I did what I could."

He began to pace around their tent.

"And instead of just me being in danger, it's all three of us."

He clenched his jaw. "I'll figure something out."

"How? You can't kill a dragon, Ichigo."

He stopped pacing and sighed deeply. "I'll figure something out."

"You're thinking about it. You're actually considering it?!" Yuzu's eyes flashed with accusation. "You told us that a dragon saved our lives after Mama disappeared, you can't-"

"I said I'll figure something out, Yu."

She collapsed on to her sleeping mat, with her head in her hands. Karin had been oddly silent through their argument spoke up.

"I expected you to be a buffoon, but not this big of one." She sighed then switched to the Trade tongue, "at least this way we have more time to plan."

"Plan?" Yuzu asked softly.

"We can't stay here. I'm sick of living in a tribe where we'll never fit in. I'm sick of all the pretending and having to act like these barbarians are my friends. Ichigo will leave first, scout the area and we will be long gone before winter is here."

Ichigo nodded. The chief said his decision was just, but it was the furthest from. The Hunters would all die in their traditions. Soon the rest of the world would discover the atrocities of their tribe. If Ichigo could play any part in their downfall he would.

Dinner was quiet, but when Ichigo began to put together supplies for his journey, Yuzu began to sniffle and Karin looked even glummer. Yuzu took care of the food. She could pack dried meats and herbs, and a few root vegetables, but he would be on his own in a short while. Karin offered to sharpen his sword and gave up her whet stone. Once the small pack was assembled and put into a leather pouch the three of them sat in silence.

"I'm going to come back for you two. Whatever it takes, I promise," he said once he couldn't stand the quietness any longer.

"We don't doubt you," Karin replied solemnly.

He sighed. "We should have left before it came to this."

"We didn't have a chance."

They fell into silence once more. Ichigo's skin began to itch. It didn't make any sense for him to prolong the inevitable. He stood up and threw the pouch over his shoulder "I suppose I should go-"

Yuzu launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He hugged her tightly breathing in deeply as her shoulders began to shake.

"I'll be back, Yu."

She sniffed. "I know."

He stroked her hair and she squeezed him gently. "May the great Cynosure guide you and keep you safe."

She drew back and pressed her pointer and middle finger to his forehead, drawing a line to the tip of his nose. He blinked; he hadn't realised that she had known that gesture. He had thought that she had been too young to remember their mother doing it. But, he found himself pleasantly comforted by it regardless. When Yuzu pulled away, Karin surprised him with a hug of her own.

"Don't be a fool, Ichigo, well any more of a fool."

He hugged her tightly. "I'll miss you. The both of you. Watch your backs and if anything seems suspicious, run. Run and hide. We'll find each other somehow."

He pressed his lips to the top of each of their heads and strode confidently from the tent. A few steps away he looked back over his shoulder to see them standing by the entrance watching him. So, he pulled on a grin and waved. He saw Yuzu rest her head on Karin's shoulder and they waved back. He kept up the confident pretence until he could no longer see the outmost tents of the tribe. Then he let his shoulders drop slightly and he reached up to rub his temples.

He had no idea what he was going to do. He leaned against a tree, fingering the sword on his back. He could go to the nearest tribe and ask for help, he was sure that there were more than a couple tribes itching for revenge. It would take a lot of convincing but it was possible to form an alliance and take down the Hunters. He looked up to see a few stars twinkling in the lightening sky. But now he was tired and it was almost dawn. He glanced over his shoulder once more deciding that he had travelled far enough to get a good head start on anyone that would follow him. But he would walk a bit further just to be safe.

Dawn broke by the time he came to a small lake surrounded by trees with thick roots. The water looked clear enough to drink and a fine layer of mist covered the surface. He could just make out the dark shapes of a family of rabbits near the shore. Here would be a good place to stop. Maybe set up a few snares, so he wouldn't have to eat the dried food right away. If there were rabbits larger predators would be around as well.

His leggings were soaked through with dew by the time he found a tree big enough big enough for cover. He was thankful for the bear-skin cloak that Yuzu had thrust into his arms at the last minute and wrapped it tightly around his shoulder as he sunk into a hollow between two roots. After a few hours rest he could track down the nearest tribe. He fell asleep as soon as his eyes closed.

* * *

 **Well, here's chapter two.**

 **Any questions or concerns can be put into a review. I'd love to hear what you guys think.**

 **\- Mymomomo**


	3. The Meeting

Ichigo woke up with a start. He wasn't quite sure what had woke him up, only that he had been asleep and now he wasn't. The sun was barely up and he groaned softly, wanting to go back to sleep, but knowing that he shouldn't. Every bit of his body ached deeply and he rolled his neck trying to get rid of some of the soreness that came with sleeping while leaning against a tree trunk. He breathed in deeply; the morning air was crisp, cold, and smelt of decaying leaves – an earthy smell, mixed in with a bit of spiciness. The Hunter camp had always smelt musty, of sweat, blood, and animals hides. This was a change for the better. He leaned back against the tree trunk and shut his eyes; he needed to come up with a plan to rescue his sisters and to destroy the Hunters. They would be safe for now; the terms of his agreement with the chief would keep them from harm. It would be dishonourable to harm them while he had not yet failed his task. But he would not leave it to chance, the sooner her found help the better. He finally stood up, stretching his arms above his head, and walked down to the edge of the lake.

Soft mud gave way to his moccasins as he stooped down at the shore line. The water was freezing when he dipped his hands into it, and he breathed in sharply as he splashed his face, washing away the last bit of sleep from his body. Brown paint came off, creating a smoky film in the water, before it disappeared and became one with the rest of the lake. Ichigo ground his teeth together; he was a Sceyh no more. He would rather become an aimless traveller with no real home than return to that life. He splashed water against his chest and arms, goose flesh rising all over his body almost instantly, and scrubbed away the class markings. He would have no more to do with the Hunter tribe now, and after he rescued his sisters. He used the bear-skin cloak to dry off and wrapped himself up tightly once he started to shiver. The springing season always brought cold nights and mornings, but the sun would easily chase them away. He retreated from the shore and headed back to the tree to gather his pack and weapons. He would concentrate on finding another tribe today.

As he slung his pack over his shoulder and adjusted the sword on his back, he heard a splashing noise from the lake. An animal drinking maybe, judging from the ripples on the surface of the lake. If he got lucky he could sneak up on it from the cover of the trees and have a decent breakfast. He stopped to quickly string his bow. His moccasins were already soaked through with morning dew and mud, padded noiselessly against the fallen leaves and dirt. He crept in between the trees, stepping over giant roots and keeping low, moving smoothly, until he had a clear view of the lake shore. He scanned the shoreline with narrowed eyes, holding his breath and preparing to take aim. There, a little way away from the shore, movement caught his eye. But his stomach jolted, it wasn't an animal; it was another person. They were up to their waist in the water and leaning over to scrub at their hair. Ichigo lowered his bow; he hadn't expected to find someone else so soon, but it was a good thing. If he could explain his idea he could see the downfall of the Hunters sooner than he had thought. He knelt down to unstring his bow and was about to call out to the person when they straightened. Light hair cascaded down their back, and water ran down pale arms and shoulders. Ichigo's cheeks heated and he spun around, ducking behind a tree.

A woman. He hadn't expected that either. He slid down the rough bark, wanting to groan. How was he supposed to explain this? He would just have to wait until she was finished and dressed before making his presence known. He certainly didn't want her to think that he had been spying on her. Now even his ears felt hot. The splashing continued and Ichigo took a deep breath, trying to stop himself from imaging what was happening on the other side of the tree.

He hadn't seen anyone with hair that light before; it had looked almost white. Most of the Hunters had dark hair and were tanned from days spent in the sun. He and Yuzu had stood out from the rest of the tribe. He knew that people from the north had light skin and hair, but he hadn't come into contact with anyone from outside of the Obrijan Forest before. At least, he thought she wasn't from the Obrijan. The Hunters didn't care about other tribes, apart from the ones that they raided, so he hadn't been able to learn much about them. The Hunters didn't care about learning for that matter; their own language didn't even have a written form. He had to teach Karin and Yuzu how to read write in Trade himself, and had practiced his letters every night so he wouldn't forget. Still, he couldn't deny that he was curious.

The splashing drew closer and he had to hazard a glance from around the tree trunk. Hopefully, she wouldn't be able to see him from her position. He couldn't see much from around the tree, but she was wading back to the shore, and Ichigo shivered as he remembered how cold the water had been. She must have been freezing. Her hair hung over one of her shoulders, shielding most of her face. Heat rose to his face again; either her breasts were exceedingly small, or she was much younger than he thought. She did look a bit small, even from this distance. The thought hit him like a swift blow to the gut; he shouldn't be doing this. He was twenty-one, if she was a child he was disgusting. But what would a child be doing by herself in the middle of the forest? Was she lost? Or were her parents or tribe nearby? Either way, he was not in an ideal situation.

And the stars always had a way of kicking dirt into his eyes.

He heard a strange chirping noise, not unlike a small reptile, but much louder and more forceful as if it came from a larger animal. Ichigo was hesitant to look back around. If he ignored it maybe it would go away. He cursed himself for unstringing his bow. If it was a small animal, he could have easily shot it down, but if it wasn't – and considering how his luck had been lately – he was going to be in trouble. The chirping increased in speed and volume. He drew in a deep breath through his nose. He'd been so fixated on the girl that he'd stopped paying attention to his surroundings. He slowly reached for the sword on his back, pivoting his body to face the source of the noise.

Fallen leaves crunched and branches brushed against a large body, signalling that the animal was coming closer. Ichigo had been expecting anything but this. A dragon wound itself in between two trees and stopped a mere five paces from him. Ichigo froze completely, he might have even stopped breathing; he couldn't be sure. The dragon was pure black, which explained why he hadn't caught sight of it before now. Long shadows still stretched between the trees in the dim morning light; it had had the perfect cover. But, it didn't look like it was hunting him, with ears perked up and facing forward and its neck stretched towards him rather than pulled back and guarding. Its mouth was shut, no sign of teeth, in fact it looked almost friendly. Then there was the chirping. He could see miniscule movements in the muscles of its neck with each chirp. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He hadn't thought that an animal that big could make such a noise. The dragon stared unblinkingly, seeming to seek out his eyes and stare deeply into them. They were amber with flecks of gold and Ichigo drew in a sharp breath.

"Is it you?" he breathed.

The dragon tilted its head to the side then took a tentative step forward. Ichigo couldn't believe it. This could be the black dragon from all those years ago, the one that had protected him and his sisters. It was almost surreal, Ichigo felt light headed; his body was weightless and numb. It was bigger than he remembered, of course. Its head was almost as large as his torso, and the horns behind its ears and along its neck weren't stubby anymore; they were as long as his forearm, possibly growing longer along its back.

Ichigo stretched out his hand, the dragon drew closer, and he was tackled to the ground from behind.

It was then his entire body decided to regain feeling, as he collided with the hard ground. His vision went black for a moment as the back of his head struck a tree root, but he was all too aware of a body pinning him to the ground and something cold and pointy being held to his throat. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision.

"Move and you die."

The voice was deep and cold, but the accented Trade told Ichigo that this person wasn't from the Obrijan. He decided not to move. All the while, the dragon kept on chirping. The second mistake Ichigo had made that day, or the first, was thinking that the child in the lake had been a girl and a child. He was small, yes, slender and almost delicate, Ichigo could tell that he would only come up to his chest if they stood up, but there was no child whose gaze was that harsh, or who had sinewy muscles that defined. Ichigo fought against the need to swallow, as blue eyes – on the verge of being green – bored into him. His hair was still wet, dripping onto Ichigo's chest as it hung heavily over his left shoulder, the right side being shorn closely to his scalp. Scars, both old and silver, and a few ones that were still pink crossed his body, presenting him as an experienced warrior. Ichigo hopped that his mistake wouldn't cost him his life.

"What it is you are doing?" he snapped. "Who are you?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to answer when he felt something press against the top of his head, then rhythmic streams of hot air, that smelt faintly of ash, blew against his face and shoulders. He assumed that it was the dragon, but he didn't dare move his head to look. The man frowned raising his gaze to the dragon then back to Ichigo. He felt the pressure from the knife at his neck recede slightly.

"Answer question, now."

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki... a... traveller. I mean no harm." Ichigo's heart was beating so intensely that he was sure the man could feel it.

"A traveller?" His eyes narrowed. "I do not believe this."

"It's the truth." It was the truth if he stretched a bit.

He stared at Ichigo for a while, deciding whether to believe him or not. His face was impassive, however. "Dragons do not trust so easily. Why it is this one did not kill you?" he asked after the dragon let out a remarkably large puff of hot air.

"I... it was ages ago, but I think we met before. We helped each other."

"Explain."

So he did. Ichigo told him about how his had escaped from the Hunters, how he had lost his mother and how the dragon had protected him and his sisters. He left out the part of him having to join the Hunter Tribe later on and was glad that he had washed off his markings.

The boy ... man...removed the knife completely and allowed Ichigo to sit up. He took a few steps backwards, eyes still narrowed and body still guarded. He looked sceptical once Ichigo finished, but less wary. The dragon snorted softly and nudged Ichigo's shoulder with its snout. He scratched it between its nostrils and its eyes fluttered shut. Ichigo smiled and the dragon set its enormous head in his lap.

"I apologise. I needed to know if you were threat. Dragons only make that noise when very distressed or very joyful," the man muttered, sitting down a few paces away from Ichigo. "Zangetsu trusts you and I have no reason not to."

"Zangetsu?" The dragon cracked open and eye and its ear twitched. "That's its name?"

"He. Is drake. Young, not full grown."

Ichigo nodded. "And you?"

He raised an eyebrow, and hesitated as if unsure what Ichigo was asking. "I... oh. My name is Toushiro Hitsugaya... from the Breidor Plains of north."

Ichigo's eyebrows shot up. He'd remember glancing at a few maps during his excursions through the Hunter's storage tent. "What are you doing so far south?"

"Is nesting season."

Ichigo should have realised this sooner, but with his mind all over the place; trying to come up with a plan, then meeting Zangetsu again, he hadn't been able to put the two together. "You are a Dragon Rider?"

Toushiro inclined his head.

Excitement rose in Ichigo's stomach, and he felt his mouth stretch into a smile. He couldn't believe it; maybe the stars hadn't forsaken him after all. This was perfect. "I've only heard of your tribe in legends."

Toushiro scoffed, dipping his head to his chest. "We are no legend," he mumbled.

"Anyone who saves dragons from the Hunters is a legend to me. My mother used to tell me stories of you before sending me to bed. You are a great and noble tribe; I couldn't me more honoured to meet you."

Toushiro took sudden interest in combing his fingers through his hair, effectively hiding his face.

"I could only dream of living alongside a dragon. I've always been fascinated by them."

"Why didn't you keep Zangetsu, then?"

Ichigo paused. "Hunters were nearby. I didn't know if I could protect him from them. Besides, I didn't know the first thing about taking care of a dragon. Something tells me they aren't like other animals."

"They take care of themself. Can get own food. But need to form bonds, with other dragon or human. If you kept him, he would never leave your side."

Ichigo nodded. He wished that he could have kept Zangetsu. If he had the strength to back then, things would have been much different than they were now. He glanced to Toushiro and felt slight jealousy.

"Is Zangetsu your dragon?"

"No." He shook his head. "My dragon is hunting, will be back soon, actually."

"But the Hunters-"

"Hyourinmaru can take care of himself. He knows what places to avoid."

Ichigo nodded. "You should still be careful; Hunters can be ruthless and unpredictable. They set traps further away from their encampment than there is need for. They kill for the pleasure of it."

Toushiro eyed him **.** "I appreciate warning."

Ichigo patted Zangetsu, his legs were beginning to lose feelings and hard scales were digging into his thighs, but he didn't mind. The dragon was warm to the touch, more so than any other living creature he had felt. "I can't believe that he remembered me after all this time."

"Dragons do not forget. They hold grudges and also remember kindness. He must have been very grateful to you." He was silent for a while, watching Ichigo as he stroked Zangetsu. Ichigo glanced his way every so often, pleased to see that some of the tension he held in his shoulders was disappearing. Riders did place a lot of trust in their dragons it seemed. Zangetsu's judgement appeared to be good enough for him.

"Hyourinmaru should be back soon," he said suddenly, staring at the hand Ichigo had on Zangetsu rather than his face. "Stay for meal – I want to ask you more about these traps."

Ichigo nodded gratefully. Now he didn't have to worry about hunting, or using the dried food in his pack. Toushiro stood up, dusting off his legs and motioned for Ichigo to follow him.

"Camp is this way."

He led Ichigo nearer to the lake shore, stopping to pick up a small bundle of clothes. Ichigo realised with reddened checks that he wasn't fully dressed. He was only wearing a breechcloth, Ichigo just realised, no leggings, shoes, or cloak. He had probably jumped straight out of the lake when he heard Zangetsu chirping. He eyed Toushiro's bare chest, feeling slightly guilty. He must have been cold.

Toushiro's camp was right next to the shore, water on one side the rest surrounded by trees. No one would be able to sneak up on him in that location. And with two dragons he was well protected. A fire pit was set up between two small tents. Ichigo tilted his head, but before he could ask his question a shadow passed overhead. He looked up grinning and saw a pair of white dragons circling the camp. Toushiro looked up as well, squinting against the morning glare. Zangetsu, also inclined his head and sniffed the air before rearing onto his back legs and flapping his wings excitedly. Ichigo jumped away to avoid getting hit. Toushiro snickered, covering his mouth when he realised that Ichigo was looking at him.

The two dragons landed further down the shore and Zangetsu took off to greet them. Ichigo tilted his head; they obviously were not meant to be runners going by Zangetsu's uneven gait. Toushiro sighed and motioned Ichigo to follow once again. Zangetsu was now circling the two dragons with his head bowed; the larger of the two was ignoring him, while the smaller nudged his side. He chuckled, but stopped when he noticed that there was a person perched in between two of the smaller dragon's spikes. She – Ichigo was positive that she was actually a woman this time – had black hair tied up in a bun, though a few pieces around her face looked very windswept, and she was almost as pale as Toushiro.

She jumped off the dragon, landing gracefully; her worn moccasins barely made any noise as she hit the ground. She was small as well, though taller than Toushiro and dressed in a light tunic, her legs were wrapped in strange looking leather and her shoulders were covered in a fitted coat, of the same leather, that extended from her neck to her wrists. Her clothes further proved that Toushiro wasn't fully dressed. She was holding a couple rabbits, tied together with string in one hand while the other was resting on the pommel of a thin sword strapped to her hip. She was scowling at him, but looked questioningly from him to Toushiro when he took a step backwards. Her eyes were light like Toushiro's, but were a deep blue that looked violet when she tilted her head. The colour was intensified by the thick rings of blue paint around her eyes. It swooped up to her temples like wings. There were also three blue dots between her eyebrows and a single strip on her chin. He briefly wondered if all the Riders were as beautiful as these two.

Toushiro said something in his native tongue – a heavy language, almost guttural, with harsh vowels. His eyebrows jumped. Most of the Obrijan dialects were smooth, lilting even, with short words rolled into one. The Trade tongue was supposedly made up of many different languages from all over the world, but this was still very different from anything he had heard before. He was caught up in listening to them speak, regarding the glances sent his way with mild interest. A modicum of self-consiousness crept up his spine; he had no idea what they were saying about him and he didn't know what to do with himself as they spoke.

The woman suddenly waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello?"

He blinked, jumping back again. She laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"I'm Rukia."

"Ichigo-"

"Yeah, he told me. So you're Zangetsu's match."

"His what?"

She chuckled again. "He didn't tell you?" she eyed Toushiro who just shook his head. "You'll have fun when you figure that out. Anyway, boys, these rabbits didn't catch themselves and I'm starving."

She marched over to the fire pit and dropped the rabbits in the middle of it then went over to her tent. Ichigo was left blinking in surprise. He appreciated the directness, but it left him feeling a little lost. If anything Dragon Riders were very accepting. He'd have thought that she'd be a little more hostile towards him. Toushiro sighed as he went to pick up the rabbits, untying their legs. He threw a knife at Ichigo's feet. It landed blade down in the dirt.

"Get to work," he instructed dryly.

Ichigo hesitantly sat down and picked up the knife. Toushiro watched as he briefly examined the blade and began to skin one of the rabbits. He began to work on starting a fire when he deemed that Ichigo knew what he was doing.

"Is she coming to help?" Ichigo asked jerking his head to Rukia's tent.

Toushiro shrugged, the muscles in his arms tensing as he struck a piece of flint. "She will be out soon. Prepare for question."

As if she had been listening, Rukia pranced back out of her tent, having shed her leather coat – Ichigo would have to ask about the material later – but right now he couldn't tear his eyes away from her arm. Her tunic was sleeveless and on her right forearm, just below the crook of her elbow, was a crest that looked to be made up of wings or tree branches and a small blossom. He had thought that it was paint at first, but as she drew closer her realised that it was a tattoo. Some of the Hunters had tattoos, but they were marks of strength usually only awarded to Summas and Drangas. He had heard that they were extremely painful.

"It's my clan sigil." She saw him looking at her arm and smiled as she sat down next to Toushiro. His small pile of fodder began to smoke and he layered dried leaves and sticks over the small flame.

Ichigo tilted his head. "Aren't you a Rider?" He hadn't noticed any tattoos anywhere on Toushiro's body. Weren't they of the same clan?

"Yes. The Rider tribe is made up of many different clans. I'm part of the Kuchiki Clan."

Ichigo nodded, even though he didn't quite understand. The Hunters had all just been Hunters. There were families within the tribe, but there was no distinction between them other than name.

"Ichigo Kurosaki? Your name sounds familiar."

Ichigo paused, nearly dropping the knife. Did she know that he had been part of the Hunter tribe? "Familiar?"

Rukia sat back on her heels. "Yes. Have I heard it somewhere before?"

"I... I'm not sure where, or how."

She shrugged. "I'm glad Zangetsu found you. We were beginning to worry that he hadn't made a bond with anyone yet. Who would have thought that he had already had made one before we found him."

Ichgo glanced over his shoulder where the three dragons had curled up together, sleeping. It was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. Except, Zangetsu stood out with his black scales against the white of the others'.

"A bond?" Ichigo asked.

Toushiro snorted softly as he fanned the fire. Quiet snaps and crackles grew in sound as orange flames liked the wood. "Exactly what it sounds like," he explained.

"So, he's mine now?"

"As much as you are his."

Ichigo raised his eyebrows. "That sounds uncomfortably matrimonial."

Rukia chuckled and Toushiro glanced up at him, a small smile playing on his lips.

"It's hardly romantic," Rukia said with amusement. "It's trust. I would trust Shirayuki with my life and she would trust me with hers."

"How do you form a bond with a dragon?"

She tilted her head. "They choose you. That's how dragons are."

"What if I didn't want a bond?" Ichigo ventured.

"You don't have a say in the matter."

"So what if they bond with someone that they shouldn't? Someone who would hurt them?"

"Why are you asking?" Toushiro cut in curtly.

Ichigo waved his hands, setting the rabbit down again. "I was just curious. Isn't it dangerous for them to just choose someone?"

"We don't know how they choose, or if there is criteria. But never in history has bonded human turned on their dragon."

Rukia nodded in agreement. "And if you somehow manage to turn on Zangetsu, we'll kill you where you stand."

She said it with a smile, and Ichigo made it a point to remember to never anger her. He finished cleaning the last rabbit and handed all three to Toushiro to cook.

"I won't."

Toushiro stared at him, with a glint in his eye. He looked away before Ichigo could be sure of what it was exactly.

"Did the dragons eat?" he asked Rukia.

"Hyourinmaru caught an elk, but he shared it with Shirayuki, so they'll need to hunt again in a few days."

Toushiro nodded. "We should heading back to camp before then."

"So, the two white ones are your dragons?" Ichigo asked, awkwardly holding his bloody hands away from his body.

Rukia nodded. "Shirayuki is mine. She's the smaller one with blue eyes and black claws. Hyourinmaru has red eyes and a frill on his neck. They are from the same brood."

Ichigo tilted his head as he looked at the dragons. They did seem a bit more serpentine than Zangetsu, a bit more slender in the chest with longer necks, tails, and limbs. He still couldn't tell the difference from this angle, but once one opened its eyes and Ichigo saw ruby red he knew which one it was. Hyourinmaru stared back at him then snorted, a wisp of smoke escaping from his nose.

Toushiro made an amused sound at the back of his throat. Ichigo turned back around as he speared the last rabbit with a stake and set it near enough to the fire that it would cook, but not burn. "Come, we need to clean." He wiggled his bloody fingers and stood up.

"Ah, that reminds me," Rukia said, clicking her tongue. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

This time Toushiro most definitely blushed. He moved to cover his face, but stopped when he remembered that his hands were dirty. He coughed awkwardly. "I was bathing; he interrupted me."

Rukia's eyes seemed to sparkle. She reminded him of Yuzu, she too had very expressive eyes. There was a sudden pang in his gut.

"Is not like that," Toushiro spluttered, his face reddening even further. "Zangetsu made chirping. I had to hurry-" He cut himself off and muttered something in his native tongue that caused Rukia to cackle. Toushiro stalked past her, shooting her a cold glare that only caused her to laugh harder.

"Ran is going to love this."

What seemed like fear flashed across Toushiro's face. "You do not do that."

Rukia smiled evilly.

"Is order."

He huffed shaking his head as he made his way to the lake. Ichigo followed not quite sure what had just happened. The dragons silently watched them as they passed, at least Hyourinmaru and Shirayuki did. Once Zangetsu realised that Ichigo was up he wiggled out of the pile, causing Hyourinmaru to growl softly as he disturbed him. He practically pranced over to Ichigo. He reached out to pat his muzzle before stopping down at the water's edge and rinsing his hands. Toushiro waded into the water, and bent first cleaning his hands, then splashing water against his muddy legs. Ichigo didn't realise that he was staring as the water ran down his thin, yet surprisingly defined legs until he noticed that Toushiro was staring back.

He coughed, immediately looking away and wondering what had come over him. His face felt hot.

"Sorry," he muttered. He stared at his submerged hands, focusing on cleaning under his nails. What was that, he asked himself. He looked back up at Toushiro through his eyelashes hoping that he wouldn't notice. He could admit that Toushiro was attractive. There were very few Hunters that Ichigo had thought were comely in his time with the tribe; he was not afraid to acknowledge beauty when he saw it. But somehow this felt different. The heat upon his cheeks intensified.

He jumped slightly when Zangetsu nudged him with his nose and, when he didn't respond quickly enough with a pat, he nudged him harder. The drake probably didn't mean to, but with him being as large as he was the nudge sent Ichigo tumbling into the lake.

The water was cold enough that his body forgot how to breathe and he resurfaced spluttering and shivering. Zangetsu looked shocked and slightly agitated, jumping away from the water and beginning to pace, as Ichigo shot to his feet, swearing. He hoped out of the lake, his skin burning with cold and wringing out his soaked cloak. Toushiro was laughing, his entire body shaking. He was covering his mouth again. Zangetsu began rumbling softly in distress.

"You will learn to brace feet whenever dragon is around," Toushiro chuckled.

Ichigo's teeth were chattering and he reluctantly began to strip off his cloak and leggings. "I'm not the first person that has happened to, then?"

Toushiro shook his head. "Dragons are graceful, but not all times."

Ichigo glared at Zangetsu. "I don't see why you're panicking; you're not the one who got wet."

"He doesn't like water," Toushiro answered, still chuckling. "You splashed him."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ichigo growled, "did _I_ get _you_ wet?"

"Come, I think I have something dry to fit you."

...

The three of them sat around the fire eating. Toushiro had given Ichigo a pelt of unfamiliar fur to warm him up. He wasn't shivering anymore but he still felt chilled, even though the sun was now high in the sky. Zangetsu had slunk back to nap with Hyourinmaru and Shirayuki after Ichigo had refused to pet him. Toushiro was now wearing leather leggings similar to Rukia's, and a fur cloak that was clasped together at his throat with a string of blue, glass beads. He had combed out his hair and Ichigo was shocked at how it shone. He wanted to run his fingers through it – he coughed, killing the thought before it could go anywhere.

"Younglings are like that," Rukia was explaining. "Zangetsu will calm down once he reaches maturity."

"And how long will that take?" Ichigo asked through gritted teeth.

"He has a few more seasons still; you can tell by the roughness of his scales. You can compare his to Hyourinmaru's, if he'll let you. He's grumpy sometimes – just like Toushiro."

Ichigo grinned and glanced to Toushiro who briefly glanced to the sky as if asking the Great Cynosure for strength.

"Ichigo, I have question," he said.

"Yes?"

"What are your plans? You said you were traveller."

Ichigo blinked. The weight of what he had set out to do came crashing down on his shoulders and he felt guilty for letting it stray from his mind. He hadn't come up with a way to breach the subject.

"I am on a quest of sorts," he said at length. "The Hunters have wronged me. They have my sisters and I want to get them back." He saw the muscles in Toushiro's jaw tense and Rukia was suddenly serious. "As I am now, I do not have the strength to do so. I was hoping to find a tribe, or any one bold enough, to aid me."

Rukia looked like she wanted to say something, but she fixed her gaze on Toushiro instead. He was scowling staring unblinkingly at Ichigo. Ichigo's skin began to prickle and he felt ashamed of not giving them the full story. But he needed help, and he wasn't sure if they would pledge their aid if they knew he had been part of the tribe.

"The Hunters are plague to this world," Toushiro growled, "taking, killing, destroying..."

Ichigo felt his gut tense. He could only hope that Toushiro would offer his aid, and the Riders would help him take down the Hunters.

"What you ask, is not easy thing. I cannot give answer right now."

Ichigo's throat tightened. Toushiro made sense. He was being ambitious with his request. But he had hoped-

"I will bring this to counsel of our chief."

Ichigo breathed in sharply, his spirits rising minutely. "Thank you."

"You will have to join us, of course." Toushiro cleared his throat. Ichigo glanced his way, but he turned his head, eyes fixed on a spot on the ground. Rukia was grinning widely, almost all of her teeth on display. "As Rider," he continued. "Zangetsu is part of our tribe, so I offer you invitation."

Ichigo was sure that his jaw dropped slightly. Ever since his mother had been around he had dreams of meeting a Dragon Rider, he had never been as presumptuous as to think of himself being one. He nodded, unable to speak.

He was on his way to gathering the power to rescue his sisters. He couldn't stop the huge grin that broke out on his face.

* * *

 **I imagine Toushiro's and Rukia's accent to be somewhat Russian. Toushiro's Trade is not as strong as Rukia's that distinction was intentional :)**

 **And yes, Zangetsu is acting suspiciously like an overgrown puppy. BTW google gecko chirping if you want to hear something utterly adorable.**

 **Thanks for reading and to those who reviewed the last chapter, you're awesome!**

 **-Mymomomo**


	4. The Riders

"You do not have tent?" Toushiro asked, eyeing Ichigo's small pack. It was beginning to get dark as the three of them sat around the campfire, full from a dinner of roasted deer meat. Zangetsu had slunk off earlier that day and returned with a deer. Instead of eating it, he had dropped it at Ichigo's feet. Ichigo would have liked to think that he was trying to apologise for pushing him into the lake. Toushiro told him that sometimes dragons liked to give presents – like domesticated cats – and assured Ichigo that he had probably caught something for himself as well. Ichigo was put to work cleaning the deer, while Toushiro and Rukia went off with their dragons. Ichigo rewarded Zangetsu with a petting session after he had set aside some of the deer meat for dinner and had smoked the rest. The other two dragons seemed to be weary of Ichigo at first, but Shirayuki came up to Ichigo and allowed him to pet her after she saw Zangetsu being showered with ear scratches. Hyourinmaru remained at a distance, however, staring Ichigo down with unnerving red eyes. The dragons were already sleeping in a giant pile; the firelight glinted off black and white scales.

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck. He honestly hadn't thought about bringing a tent. He'd never gone out on a hunting trip that required him to spend a night in the forest in a very long time, and if he did finding a resting place in-between the trees was easy. He had been concerned with food and weapons while packing and the thought of bringing any sort of portable shelter hadn't crossed his mind. Though, it did seem suspicious for a traveller not to have a tent. "It was destroyed a few nights ago; I was hoping to find a tribe where I could trade for a new one."

Toushiro nodded, seeming to accept his answer. "We will share then. It is raining tonight."

Ichigo looked up at the sky. There were dark clouds, but sometimes they held for days. Still, it would be better than spending another night huddled against a tree trunk. He followed Toushiro into his tent after wishing Rukia good night. She would have first watch. Ichigo didn't think that they needed a watchman, not with the three dragons nearby, but he said nothing – they most likely had their reasons.

The inside of the tent was warmed from the fire; the residual heat had somehow been trapped inside. It was also small; there was barely enough room for the two of them to do more than lie down. Ichigo laid down his bear-skin cloak and sat cross-legged on top of it, unsure what else to do. It was dark, but light from the fire outside leaked through the opening, and he was able to make out a few animal pelts and packs. Toushiro was unwinding the leather from his legs, having already pulled off his moccasins and cloak. Rather than traditional leggings, that were stitched up the sides, both Toushiro and Rukia simply bound their legs with strips of leather. Ichigo didn't mean to stare at him, but he did. The flickering light, bathed his skin in orange, and cast shadows along the dips of subtle muscles. He felt his throat go dry, as he followed Toushiro's fingers as they unwound his legs, up his calves and thighs until –

He coughed and looked away, becoming busy with his own moccasins – tugging them off and pretending to examine them for holes. But the back of his ears itched and he knew that he hadn't been quick enough; Toushiro had caught him staring.

"What is it?" he asked.

Ichigo found a small hole in the seam of his left moccasin. "What material is that? I've never seen leather that looked like that before."

Toushiro handed him the length of leather and set to work on his other leg. "You do not have the animal here. It is called innsigli... I do not know how to say in Trade tongue."

Ichigo fingered the leather, still warm from Toushiro's skin – he tried very hard not to dwell on that fact. It was thicker than dear hide and much darker.

"Can you describe it?"

Toushiro tilted his head. "They are like large... fish but no scales."

"A fish that has leather?"

Toushiro huffed and shook his head. "No, they have tails, but face like dog. And have to come above water to breathe air."

Ichigo was even more confused.

Toushiro spread his arms wide. "This big, sometimes bigger and make barking sound. Have much fat, too. And fur."

"I don't..." he trailed off trying, unsuccessfully, to picture the animal Toushiro was trying to describe. A scale-less fish with a dog head seemed bizarre in many ways.

Toushiro grumbled something in frustration then sighed, shaking his head. "Ask Rukia. She has better Trade than me."

Ichigo ducked his head guiltily, wishing that he was more knowledgeable. "Your Trade is very good," he answered handing the leather back to Toushiro.

Toushiro scoffed as he folded the leather and set it next to one of the packs. "So is yours," he said sharply.

Ichigo felt his cheeks heat slightly. That hadn't been a compliment. He flopped back onto his cloak, staring up at the inside of the tent. "Sorry... I'm just happy to finally meet a Dragon Rider."

He could feel Toushiro staring at him. "We are not as special as you think."

"Maybe not, but it's a change from the Hunters. Living so close to them, I mean."

Toushiro hummed softly and threw another pelt at Ichigo. "Use that," he said simply then leaned out through the tent flap and called out something to Rukia in his native tongue. "You will have last watch. I will wake you when is time."

Even the hair on his head felt exhausted, but Ichigo couldn't find sleep. So much had happened that day. His mind was still trying to wrap itself around it all. Zangetsu, the Riders, Toushiro's promise to try to help him. Furs rustled as he rolled onto his back. The pelt smelt of Toushiro, he brought it up to his nose and sniffed deeply before he realised what he was doing. He eyed the other man, who was lying on his side with his back facing Ichigo. A pelt was draped around his waist, leaving his back bare. His hair was tied up and wrapped around itself, exposing a slender neck that Ichigo was positive he could span with one hand. He swallowed thickly. Where were these thoughts coming from?

"You think very loud," Toushiro grumbled, rolling over to face him.

Ichigo instantly averted his eyes to the top of the tent. "Sorry. It has been a ... long day; a lot has happened."

He hummed in agreement.

"I'm having difficulty believing that this is not a dream."

"Is not dream," Toushiro confirmed. "You will work tomorrow. We make sure area is safe for dragon to nest."

Of course, Ichigo remembered Toushiro said something about returning to the tribe in a few days. A small bit of disappointment settled in his gut. They had prior duties; it wasn't as though they could drop them just because he wanted to act quickly. Karin and Yuzu weren't in any immediate danger, he reminded himself. "Is that why you and Rukia are out here alone?"

"Yes, we send out scouts in pairs, meet back at south camp to map out safe areas."

"Ah, so where is your main tribe?"

"North."

"Just north?" Ichigo turned his head to face him, pillowing the side of his head on his arm.

"You have to earn that information." The corner of Toushiro's mouth travelled upwards slightly.

Ichigo found himself unable to look away and had to stifle a false yawn. "Fair enough."

"Sleep." Toushiro chuckled softly.

He covered his mouth again and a part of Ichigo's mind thought that the gesture was endearing. He sighed internally, he couldn't blame Toushiro for his body's reaction, but it was still confusing. He hadn't felt this way about any woman to say the least. To be fair he had never been attracted to _anyone_ before, but this was especially jarring. He didn't know a thing about Toushiro, other than he was a Dragon Rider and was very striking. He shook his head. This wasn't important right now. What was important was gaining the Rider's trust so he could rescue his sisters. He shut his eyes, bringing the pelt up to his chin. It still smelt of Toushiro and he bit down on his bottom lip.

"Good night," he mumbled rolling away.

"Good night," Toushiro replied. "May the stars guide you in your sleep."

...

Ichigo drew his bow and released it with a sharp twang. There was a slithering noise less than a finger's width from Toushiro's foot as a small snake coiled around itself in pain, an arrow sticking out from its body. Toushiro swore in his native tongue and jumped away.

Ichigo would have laughed at his reaction, but now was not the time. He was familiar with that kind of snake – bright yellow with brown and white stripes, only about the length of a man's forearm, its prey usually died within a day after writing in pain. He lowered his bow and cautiously stepped closer to examine the snake. Toushiro was glancing between him and the place where he had been standing moments before, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly ajar.

"Look out for those," Ichigo said once he had assured himself that the snake was dead. "A drop of their venom is enough to fell a full-grown stag."

"Thank you," Toushiro muttered and Ichigo noticed that his cheeks were colouring. "That was good shot. You could have easily taken my foot."

Ichigo shrugged, looking away as his own ears began to heat. "I have experience with a bow and arrow."

"That's obvious," Rukia chimed in. "You could teach some of our marksmen a thing or two. But we also have a few that would have made the shot seem like child's play."

"Is that a compliment?" Ichigo asked turning to her.

"Who knows? Are you feeling well, Toushiro? Normally you would have had no problem spotting that snake."

Toushiro huffed and his cheeks reddening even further. Ichigo saw that his ears, the one that wasn't covered by his hair, were red as well as his neck leading to the clasp at his throat. There was no need to be so embarrassed about not noticing the snake. Nature intended for them to be unnoticed after all. But, pride flared in his chest regardless as well as an urge to impress Toushiro.

"I apologise; I was distracted," he said gruffly, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear.

Ichigo shrugged. "There was no harm done; we shouldn't worry about it now."

Rukia had already started to move on ahead, but Toushiro hung his head and coughed uncomfortably. Ichigo chuckled in an attempt to stifle the strange feeling in his chest as Toushiro shyly glanced back at him.

They travelled through the bush and forest surrounding the lake. Ichigo pointed out a few traps, but these were old and probably set from the past nesting season. Hunter's were usually loud and bold with their methods of attack, but even Ichigo had to admit that there was some finesse in their dragon traps. If he hadn't known what he was looking for, he most likely wouldn't have noticed them. Toushiro and Rukia listened in rapt attention as he explained how the Hunters went about trapping a dragon, and what signs to look for. He already pointed out the snares and hidden nets the previous days, but this had been different; it was a snare, but it was set up in such a way that it would tighten to the point of severing a limb. Some traps were not meant to kill. He caught Toushiro grinding his teeth as he examined the rope. It was re-enforced and fire proof; a dragon wouldn't be able to escape without help.

The final day of scouting turned up no more traps and Toushiro deemed it safe to return to the main camp that day. Ichigo was practically vibrating with excitement as he helped Rukia take down her tent and pack Shirayuki's saddle bags. The white dragoness waited calmly as Ichigo fumbled with the straps on her saddle, Rukia ordering him this way and that, seeming to take pleasure from telling him what to do. The saddle was perched between two of the spikes at the junction of Shirayuki's neck and shoulders. It was larger than any horse saddle Ichigo had even seen, much thicker, and had more straps and buckles than he had fingers and toes.

"Is this all necessary?" He grumbled as he re-did a buckle for the third time.

"Unless you want to fall off mid-flight, then yes."

"I didn't know dragons needed saddles."

She scoffed. "Well, you could go bareback, but on a flight this length your thighs will get rubbed bloody."

Ichigo winced.

"You'll get a taste of it once you start riding Zangetsu."

Ichigo blinked and glance over his shoulder to her. "I'm riding Zangetsu?"

"What is point of bonding with dragon if you do not ride?" Toushiro asked as he walked past them, slinging Hyourinmaru's saddle over his shoulders. He looked like he should have been caving under the weight of it, but he walked straight-backed, the muscles on his arms bulging. Ichigo had to physically force himself to look away, feeling his cheeks heat almost instantly.

Rukia double-checked his work, tightening the strap that went around Shirayuki's chest.

"Have you ridden anything before?" she asked.

Ichigo shook his head. He had not been high ranked enough amongst the Hunters to need a mount.

She grinned widely and Ichigo didn't know if that meant that he should be afraid or not. "Is it hard?"

"It takes time getting used to," Toushiro answered and Ichigo frowned at how quickly he had saddled his dragon. "Dragon are not like horses. Much smarter, need less guiding. But wind is terrible." A small smile played upon his lips as he folded his arms across his chest and turned to Rukia and Shirayuki. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Sir."

He nodded. "You two will ride together."

Ichigo's stomach dropped slightly and he sighed internally. A part of him wanted to ride with Toushiro. But Hyourinmaru wouldn't let him get any closer than three paces. He had growled dangerously until Toushiro intervene and then he simply proceeded to growl softer. Toushiro had assured him that he wouldn't attack. He may snap at him, but Hyourinmaru was like this with all strangers. He took a considerably longer time than the other dragons to warm up to new people. Three days had not been enough for Ichigo to gain his trust.

Zangetsu had been laden with the tents and a few elk carcasses that had been salted, smoked and wrapped in oiled parchment. The black dragon may have been the youngest of the three but Ichigo had noticed how he was bulkier than the other two and slightly larger. His chest was almost barrelled in comparison to Hyourinmaru's almost serpentine shape. He had been waiting patiently, tracking Ichigo's every movement.

"This is going to feel strange at first," Rukia said, swinging herself into the saddle and reaching down help Ichigo up. She made climbing onto a dragon seem like no problem, but Ichigo had to jump and scramble. He managed to grasp one of Shirayuki's spikes and hoist himself up behind Rukia. Toushiro snickered softly, once again covering his mouth and once Ichigo was comfortably seated he wandered over to Hyourinmaru.

"You don't have to do much, but taking off is always a bit rough. Shirayuki can keep you balanced, however, if you don't move with her you can through her off a bit."

"Move with her?" Ichigo licked his lips.

"Keep low and lean when she does. Not too much, follow my lead."

"Right."

"Strap your feet in." She pointed at a few more straps that dangled off the edge of the saddle. "Don't want you falling off."

His stomach rolled and he fumbled with the buckles again. One-handed this time, the other hand held onto the spike behind the saddle. He wasn't eager to fall from this height, and they were still on the ground.

"Ready?" Toushiro asked again, guiding Hyourinmaru closer to them. Ichigo briefly wondered how Toushiro managed to get on top of him. He had difficulty in getting onto Shirayuki and Hyourinmaru was taller than her while Toushiro was shorter than him.

Rukia checked the straps around Ichigo's calves and called an affirmative in the Rider tongue. Ichigo nearly screeched when Shirayuki shifted into a walk. He clutched onto Rukia's waist as the dragon began to follow Hyourinmaru. Her uneven gait was jarring to say the least, but Ichigo was unprepared when she leapt into the air. His stomach was dislocated and settled somewhere in his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut as Shirayuki climbed into the sky. His mind telling him that he should be falling, but his body sensed otherwise. The dragoness' wings beat up a storm, jerking him up and down in the saddle, bumping him into Rukia then forcing him back just as suddenly. Then suddenly they stopped. Rukia tapped his hands that he had clasped around her waist shouted over her shoulder. She had been right about the wind, he could hear nothing but howling, possibly only hearing her because they were so close.

"Open your eyes!"

He was hesitant to obey, but cracked open an eye. He squinted and his hair stung his face, but his breath caught in his throat as he glanced around. The forest stretched leagues below him; the treetops, that were once too tall for him to see beyond, now looked like the top of a small garden. The world stretched beneath him; he could see the Osnua River spanning under them, the small dips in the treetops as they gave way to small tribe settlements. He could see blue-green mountains in the distance, and if he was brave enough he could stretch out his hands and _touch_ the clouds.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Rukia yelled, he could see her smiling.

"I never thought that I could see all this," he yelled back.

He glimpsed Zangetsu tailing them, a great, dark shape gliding lazily amongst the clouds. Hyourinmaru was harder to spot; if it wasn't for his saddle packs he would have missed him completely. Toushiro glanced back at them and he raised an arm to wave. Something jolted in Ichigo's chest as he watched the Rider and dragon at home in the air.

...

Ichigo's legs were numb by the time they started descending and light tremors shook his entire body. He had to pry his arms from around Rukia's waist and his knees nearly buckled when he slid from Shirayuki's back. Rukia laughed loudly and clapped him on his back as he doubled over. He lips must have been blue and he was not certain that his mouth remembered how to make sounds.

"That wasn't so bad for your first flight." She grinned, and stretched, working out a kink in her back.

Ichigo straightened, trying to hide his trembling, and looked around. "I'm freezing."

She scoffed, "You Southerners are too soft. This isn't even chilly."

He shook his head. They had landed in a small clearing, but Ichigo could see a few tents through the trees and trails of smoke that rose up from small fires. The air smelt fresh, and was missing the stench of wet earth and decaying leaves. He knew at once that this was the furthest north he had ever been. Even the trees looked different. His stomach started to churn as the weight of the situation settled on his shoulders. This was the Rider settlement. This was the key to bringing down the Hunters and rescuing his sisters. He took a deep breath and clutched the edge of this cloak. Then there was a deep grunt from behind him before Zangetsu shoved his head against his back. Ichigo took a step forward to keep himself from falling and turned around to pat the dragon's snout. The grunt turned into a hum, as if he was telling Ichigo not to worry, and the drake's amber eyes fluttered shut.

"How are your legs?" Toushiro was suddenly behind him.

Ichigo held his breath and he looked over his shoulder. Toushiro's eyes were bright and his hair was windswept. Ichigo's chest jolted and he had to stop himself from reaching out to smooth a few stray strands. Instead he looked down to his legs, and shifted his weight to the balls of his feet. His thighs were tight and he knew that he would be feeling the ache come morning. "A little bit sore. I've had worse."

Toushiro raised an eyebrow; the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. "I will introduce you to chief and others. We have to talk of traps anyway, so you come with me. Rukia, you handle dragon."

Rukia nodded, clicking her tongue to get the dragons' attention, and Toushiro jerked his head to Ichigo. "Come."

He tried not to limp as he followed Toushiro between rows of conical tents. People stared at him, pausing whatever task they were in the middle of to stare as they walked past. Ichigo felt his cheeks heat slightly. He didn't think that he looked so different. His clothes were a bit off, he wore less leather and his pelts were from different animals, but that didn't warrant the stares which were sent his way. Though, if he were an outsider in the Hunter tribe his welcome would have been a spear to the gut. Toushiro waved at few people and muttered greetings in his native language as he weaved, straight-backed, through the tents. Ichigo was at a loss for what to do, feeling clumsy and out of place, until Toushiro pulled back a flap to one of the larger tents and motioned him inside.

The tent smelt of dried herbs and smoke and was surprisingly warm compared to outside. A low fire in a pit at the centre of the tent might have had something to do with that, however. There was a wide table next to the fire pit, made of roughly hewn wood, and surrounding it were three men, dressed in extravagant cloaks of the softest looking pelts Ichigo had ever seen, and iridescent glass jewellery. One was old and wizened; the other two were younger and stood straight on either side of him like sentries, one with long white hair, bound at the nape of his neck, the other with curly, brown hair held back with a tortoise shell pin. They had halted their conversation to turn and stare as Ichigo and Toushiro entered.

The sentry with the white hair's eyes lingered on him before he glanced to Toushiro and began to smile.

"Stay here," Toushiro muttered as he brushed past Ichigo and strode up to the table where he bowed deeply then began speaking in the Rider tongue.

Ichigo knew they were talking about him. They sent him glares and glances as Toushiro spoke and Ichigo was left shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably. None of the men seemed angry that he was there. The oldest of the three, the one who Ichigo assumed was the chief was mostly bald with a thick, long beard bound with strips of leather, was expressionless. He was leaning heavily against a wooden staff, and though his eyes were droopy they were bright and calculating. Ichigo felt himself laid bare before him. He hunched over, trying to make himself seem as unthreatening as possible and stared at his feet. He was standing on an intricately woven mat, and hopped that his moccasins hadn't soiled it.

"Ichigo Kurosaki?"

He looked up at his name. They weren't speaking to him, but Toushiro waved him over. "He has bond with Zangetsu. I make chose to bring him here." He switched to Trade, pointedly including Ichigo in the conversation.

The chief turned his gaze fully on him. "Kurosaki?"

Ichigo nodded, bowing as an afterthought. As his knee hit the ground he heard a gruff laugh and looked up.

"I haven't heard that name in long time," the chief said. The two other men exchanged a look then began to smile warmly.

Ichigo rose, despite his shaky legs.

"This is the chief of the Rider tribe," Toushiro said, "Chief Yamamoto. And his advisors, Clan Leaders Ukitake and Kyoraku."

Ichigo nodded, feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

"Toushiro tells us that you were a great help in locating Hunter traps."Kyoraku said his hair bouncing as he rounded the table to stand next to Ichigo.

"I...I tried my best, sir."

"Yes," Ukitake joined him from the other side. He seemed to glide when he moved, his floor-length cloak added to the illusion. "And we were also beginning to worry that Zangetsu hadn't chosen a rider yet."

"I... um... I actually met him before. When I was young, he saved me from some Hunters..."

"Oh?" Ukitake's eyebrow rose and he almost seemed like he was going to pounce, but Chief Yamamoto cleared his throat.

"Leader Hitsugaya tells us that you have request."

Ichigo had to stop himself from turning to Toushiro in shock. He was a clan leader? He wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but it sounded important, especially if the chief's advisors held the same title. Toushiro looked so young. He forced his thoughts back to the conversation at hand.

"Yes, sir," he inclined his head. "I need your help. I need the Riders' help."

...

Toushiro held back the flap to his tent and motioned Ichigo inside. He ducked into the entrance not expecting the size or the grandeur. Unlike his tent from the previous nights, this one was spacious, with a fire pit in the centre; red hot embers gave off warmth and a dim glow. Dried herbs hung from the support beams and various clay pots, and intricately carved stools were arranged around the fire pit. There was a sizable sleeping palette covered in pelts of all kinds, and pillows as large as he was. High ranked Hunters' tents hadn't been this extravagant. Toushiro came in behind him immediately going to the sleeping palette and shucking off his cloak. He had been wearing a simple, sleeveless tunic underneath this time, in preparation for the shift in temperature. Ichigo wished he had been so lucky; he was still bare-chested under his cloak. The colourless linen somehow made Toushiro appear smaller and thinner than he was. Ichigo swallowed thickly, unsure what to do he pretended to examine one of the bundles of herbs, while still surreptitiously glancing toward Toushiro as he dug around in his pack for something.

"Are all Riders' tents like this?" he asked.

Toushiro glanced to him, pausing in his search. "No. Only those who have importance."

Ichigo sighed. He couldn't believe that Toushiro was a clan leader; he looked so young. He reached up to finger the bundle of herbs. "Am I sleeping in here tonight?"

Toushiro hesitated, staring at Ichigo, a light flush spreading across his cheeks. "I... if you do not mind. I brought you to tribe. It is – how you say – tradition. You are my responsibility until you prove yourself to rest."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "How do I prove myself?"

"Depends. Are you serious about joining us?"

"If you can help my family." He turned to stare at Toushiro. Chief Yamamoto hadn't given his a straight answer about offering his help. It seemed like he wanted to test Ichigo before deciding.

Toushiro stared right back. They were silent for a few heartbeats.

"We will see." Toushiro said at length. "Come, there is long day tomorrow. We should have rest." He finally fished out a comb from his pack and gathered his hair over his shoulder. Ichigo watched as small fingers detangled the worst of the knots before he gently dragged the comb through. It was almost hypnotising, except that there was something hot growing in his stomach. He coughed, realising that he had been standing uncomfortably for some time and looked around for another sleeping mat.

"Um... Toushiro," he began, seeing none. "Where am I to sleep?"

Toushiro looked up, setting down his comb and winding his hair around itself and tying it at the crown of his head. "Here," he said patting the palette. "Is big enough, no?"

"Oh," Ichigo took a step back, stunned. "I... no... I um I thought-"

"Is something wrong?" He was pulling off his moccasins now. "We have little supplies at this camp. I apologise. Normally, you would sleep in common tent with others. But you are not member of tribe yet and there is no trust."

"Yes, I understand that." Ichigo sighed and scratched the back of his neck, feeling his face and neck grow warm. "If it doesn't bother you."

Toushiro shook his head. "If is sharing that has you uncomfortable-"

"No... no."

Toushiro cocked his head. "You're blushing."

Ichigo brought his hands to his face. "I... apologise."

Toushiro chuckled softly. "No need. You are honest man, Kurosaki. I appreciate that."

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering Toushiro pulled his tunic over his head. "Are you going to stay there all night?"

Ichigo cleared his throat and edged towards the palette. He sat down and hesitantly shrugged off his pack and cloak.

It had taken him ages to fall asleep. He was all too aware of his own breathing and the fact that Toushiro was laying a mere hands' width away from him, in nothing but a thin linen breechcloth. His stomach was churning and there was a strange heat in his loins. No, it wasn't strange; he knew what it was, but now was the not the time to be feeling such things. He managed to fall into a light sleep, half-aware of everything around him. He flitted in an out of his half-slumber until he jolted awake to Toushiro striking a piece of flint and a fire crackling to life. He rolled onto his elbows, shivering as the pelt slid down his back.

"You were trembling. I thought you were cold," Toushiro explained.

"Thank you," Ichigo mumbled, pulling the pelt up to his neck and curling into a tight ball. "I have never been so far north. I am unused to this cold."

Toushiro scoffed. "This is warm compare with my home." He fanned the small flame and arranged a handful of dried grass around it. The fire would die out by morning, but would heat up the tent. He lay back down and slipped under the covers.

"The Breidor Plains, right?" Ichigo asked, trying to force his mind from the image of Toushiro's bare legs. "What's it like?"

Toushiro rolled onto his side and faced him. "There I was born; I have not lived there for years."

Ichigo still shivered. "Oh-"

"You are still cold?"

Ichigo ducked his head and Toushiro sighed and crawled closer.

"I will not have you getting frost sickness."

He swallowed audibly. "No?"

Toushiro's cheeks darkened. "How will you save your sisters?"

He licked his suddenly dry lips as Toushiro rolled into his chest and rested his arms around Ichigo's ribs. Ichigo was afraid to move, but Toushiro was warm and smelt vaguely of smoke and an unknown herb. The heat in his belly grew and he held his breath.

"Are you certain about this?"

"Until you stop shaking, yes."

Ichigo prayed to the Great Cynosure that his body would not embarrass him. He silently chanted a prayer that his mother had taught him all those years ago, making up half the words. But he felt Toushiro's breath on his neck and the prayer was in vain. Intense heat pooled between his legs and he felt himself harden. Clenching his jaw, he tried to angle his pelvis away from Toushiro, his cheeks already blazing in embarrassment. Toushiro squirmed, attempting to get comfortable, his thigh brushing against Ichigo's groin. They both froze. Ichigo hissed softly an apology already forming on his tongue.

"Oh," Toushiro said simply, craning his neck to look into Ichigo's eyes. His face was as red as Ichigo's felt and Ichigo felt a little better knowing that he wasn't the only one embarrassed.

"S-sorry," he stammered, unwinding Toushiro's arms from around him, ready to get as far away from him as the palette would allow. If the ground would open up and swallow him it would have been more than welcome. His shoulders were tight to his ears as his sat up.

Toushiro coughed softly, his arm falling to rest on Ichigo's hip. "No need to be sorry. It is natural and," he paused taking a deep breath then chewing his bottom lip. He sat up as well, moving onto his knees so that he and Ichigo would be on the same level. "And... it is not all unwelcome."

Ichigo's mouth opened and closed a few times; making him positive that he had forgotten how to talk.

Toushiro winced and drew back. "That was too bold of me." He shook his head and stood up, his face darkening even further and the blush spread across his chest as well. "You sleep here; I will... find somewhere-"

"No," Ichigo jumped, grabbing his wrist before his mind could catch up to him. "I..." Now he had no idea of what to do. He swallowed thickly as his chest began to tighten. "I will not chase you from your own tent." Toushiro's wrist was so small, so delicate. He drew up his courage and gave himself no choice. He would reap the regrets later.

"You... I do not... make uncomfortable," Toushiro muttered, his accent growing more pronounced as he grew more flustered.

Ichigo tugged lightly, guiding him back to the palette. He was not giving himself a chance. If he didn't do this now, only the Stars knew how long he would torment himself trying to hide how he felt. It was best to get this out in the open and face it head-on. "I... I think you very attractive. And I would have you stay the night with me."

Toushiro's eyes widened minutely and for a moment it seemed as though he was going to flee, but instead he took a long breath through his nose, his chest expanding greatly. Ichigo caught a glimpse of a shy smile before Toushiro covered his mouth. He never knew relief like this before and a light feeling spread across his chest and belly. He would have likened it to flying, but now that he knew how that went it wasn't similar at all.

"Th-that would please me." Toushiro said, as he sat back down.

* * *

 **Sorry for the wait.**

 **Finally, Ichigo meets the Riders. Not so much of Zangetsu in this chapter, but that will be remedied in the next. Also the reason for that M-rating is coming up.**

 **-Mymomomo**


	5. The Camp

Ichigo was woken by the early morning sounds of the camp. People moving about, the sound of quiet voices and clinking clay pots, the occasional grunt of a dragon – he cracked open an eye and almost flew upright. Excitement built in his chest; he had made it to the Rider camp. He was truly amongst them now. He couldn't help but smile. Never in a thousand years would he have thought that this would have been possible. To him Riders had been a myth, only real in the stories his mother had told him, then later he had told his sisters. Now, he was in the middle of the Rider camp, holding one of their leaders to his chest.

Toushiro had rolled over sometime during the night and now his back was pressed firmly against Ichigo's chest. Ichigo's arm was thrown over his stomach, dangerously close to the top of his breechcloth. They hadn't gotten to sleep until the sun began to rise; Ichigo still felt ashy behind his eyes. They had talked quietly about anything and everything he could think of. Toushiro had laughed softly until tears formed in his eyes. Ichigo, then, had gently brought his hands away from his mouth as he covered it, and kissed him. He hadn't known what he was doing, or where the sudden boldness had come from. He didn't know how a kiss was supposed to work, just pressing his lips to Toushiro's. But Toushiro didn't seem to mind; when he pulled away he was smiling widely. His teeth were slightly crooked, as if there were a few too many for his mouth. Ichigo had found it endearing.

Ichigo, tightened his arm around Toushiro's stomach at the memory, pulling Toushiro closer, but the movement woke him.

"Góðan daginn," Toushiro yawned, stretching out his back, his voice rough with sleep.

"Hmm?"

"Sorry, good morning," he mumbled, rolling over to face Ichigo. He looked tired, as if fighting off sleep even as he woke.

"Is that how you say it in Rider? Say it again."

"Language is Ekrovinn. Góðan daginn."

Ichigo was positive that he would bite his tongue trying to say it. "Go... an?"

Toushiro grinned and shook his head. "Góðan daginn,"

"Go-an dag.. in?"

He shook his head. "Góðan daginn."

"That's what I said."

"You did not."

Ichigo sighed. "I did."

"You can argue until blue in face. You did not; that is fact," Toushiro said as he sat up. A few locks of hair had escaped their binding and fluttered around his shoulders. "Is time to get up."

Ichigo pulled the pelt tightly around his shoulders, watching as Toushiro stood and picked up the tunic he had shed last night. He shook his hair loose; combing it with his fingers then grabbed his cloak.

"Is time to get up," he repeated upon noticing that Ichigo hadn't moved from the pallet.

"It's cold."

Toushiro raised an eyebrow. "Are you for true?" Scoffing he made his way to one of the chests that were lined near the wall of his tent. "I have some that will fit you, but we will have to go elsewhere for tunic, and leggings." He rummaged in the chest for a while before pulling out a long hooded cloak made of black fur with beaded fastenings. He tossed it to Ichigo. "Should be warmer than what you have."

Ichigo's fingers sunk into the downy fur. He drew in a soft breath and brought it to his cheek. "What animal is this from?" It was softer and much thicker than any cloak he had ever worn.

Toushiro hesitated, "You will have to ask Rukia. I do not know how to say."

Ichigo pulled it on, fastening it and relishing in the warmth it brought. "Why do you have a cloak this large? It can't fit you, can it?"

Toushiro looked slightly annoyed at the question. "My grandmother. She made it big for growing in."

"Growing?" Ichigo regarded Toushiro, he did look young. But maybe he just had one of those faces that aged slowly. He was a clan leader after all. "How old are you?"

"...Ten and seven."

"Seventeen?" Ichigo choked. He had only just come of age, unless Riders did things differently.

"Is that how you say?" Toushiro asked quietly, toeing on a pair of straw slippers.

He was only one year older than Ichigo's sisters. He wasn't a child, but he was so close to being one. "How did you become a clan leader?"

"I know I am young, Ichigo, but age has little to do with experience... and skill." Toushiro answered wearily and tossed Ichigo's moccasins to him. Without waiting for him to put them on he strode to the tent flap. "Now is time for breaking fast. Come."

Ichigo thought back to how easily Toushiro had snuck up on him and pinned him to the ground. There must have been a reason for all his scars. "I believe you." He quickly pulled on his shoes and jumped to his feet.

Toushiro nodded and moved to duck under the flap, but Ichigo stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"About last night," he began, causing Toushiro to instantly turn red. Ichigo grinned, feeling his cheeks heat as well. "I would like to continue what we started, if you have no objections, that is."

Toushiro's eyes widened. "Now?"

"Not now, but..." he paused to take a deep breath. "I'm hoping... I would..."

Toushiro looked up at him then smiled as he reached up to cup the back of Ichigo's head. Ichigo's heart started thudding at the contact and his stomach danced. He swallowed thickly as Toushiro gently brought his face down to his height and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He still didn't know what he was doing, but it felt good, and his lips tingled from the light touch.

"I know," Toushiro said, grinning slightly.

"It's not wrong is it?" Ichigo asked, licking his lips and pressing his forehead against Toushiro's. "For two men to..."

"You think it wrong?" Toushiro echoed, jerking back and a slight crease appeared between his eyebrows.

"I've never... when I was with the-where I'm from, it didn't happen in public. People did what they wanted in their own tents. I knew of a few instances where two men and two women... but then they later got married to the opposite sex."

Toushiro's eyes narrowed. "This, if we continue would be secret?"

Ichigo's skin began to itch. He should have known about the taboos about being with another man. He shouldn't have been so quick to act. "I do not know."

Something hardened in Toushiro's face and his hand dropped from the back of Ichigo's neck. "I will give you time to decide." He pushed aside the tent flap once more and slipped out.

Ichigo followed with the feeling that he had already irreparably mucked things up.

There weren't as many Riders as Ichigo thought there would be, but he reminded himself that this wasn't their main camp. They were all sitting around the remnants of a fire, passing around a giant, stone goblet. Ichigo tried not to shrink under the gazes that followed him as he sat down next to Toushiro. Everyone was speaking in Rider around him and he didn't know what to do with himself as Toushiro started a conversation with Ukitake. He stared at his lap feeling anxiety swirl in his stomach.

"Here."

A bowl of brown mush was pushed into his hands. He looked up, shocked, to see a smiling woman with large brown eyes and hair, kneeling in front of him. She was wrapped in a white cloak and her hair was tied up with a scrap of linen.

"Thank you," he replied taking the bowl.

"I'm Momo," she continued, "Shiro's sister. You are Ichigo?" He nodded his eyes flickering to Toushiro. They did not look related at all. Toushiro had halted his conversation and was now glaring at Momo. "Don't mind him. Come, sit with us. Leaders have most boring talks."

He hesitated.

"Go," Toushiro sighed, "meet others."

Momo grabbed his hand and yanked him to his feet. There were only about twenty Riders in all, but she led him to the other side of the fire where a small group was sitting. He recognised Rukia and felt a bit of relief.

"I was wondering when Toushiro was going to let you out of his tent," Rukia said as he sat down.

Ichigo cocked his head. "We had to talk about a few things."

"Just talk?" She grinned at his blush. "Anyway, the leaders will decide what we're going to do with you, but for now, this is Rangiku and Izuru."

She pointed to the other two riders sitting with them; a woman with long, flowing red-gold hair, and man with straw coloured hair and hunched shoulders. He nodded at each of them in turn. "I'm Ichigo."

"We know," Rangiku chirped. Her accent was even thicker than Toushiro's. He wasn't surprised, but it was impressive that so many Riders knew Trade. Only a select few Hunters hand known the language. "Rukia gave us story. Zangetsu picked a rider at last. We were worrying there was something wrong with him... and Foringi."

"Who?"

Rukia snickered. "It means chief, Ran's pet name for Toushiro."

"Yes!" Rangiku's pale eyes lit up, "Is funny story. He was too proud of rank, wanting something to put him back in place."

"Ah, he's not a chief; he's a clan leader?"

"Foringi pokes fun, no?"

Ichigo didn't quite understand but he nodded anyway. Momo was giggling quietly beside him, "Except he doesn't mind it too much."

Rangiku pouted. "I know, but I upset him in other way."

"We have a game," Rukia explained. "It's fun to see Toushiro get annoyed and act his age for once."

"Do all of you do this?"

Izuru shook his head fervently. "Blessings from the Stars, no." Izuru grumbled. "He already hates me."

"He doesn't." Momo leaned over to him squeezed his shoulder.

"You don't see the looks he gives me when you're not around."

"He would treat you like Gin if he hated you."

Ichigo spooned a bit of his food into his mouth. It was warm, and hearty; he enjoyed it, even though he didn't know what it was. He felt that was symbolic of his feelings on the Riders at the moment.

"Gin is Ran's husband. It's a shame he's not back yet, he's the one who started the game." Rukia explained.

"He means well," Rangiku – Ran – chuckled. "But, Ichigo, what did you do to catch Foringi's eye?"

Rukia chuckled. "Just look at him, Ran. Tell me Toushiro wouldn't look twice."

"He does prefer red hair." Momo smiled.

Ichigo felt himself blush.

"And he likes men tall and strong." Rangiku winked.

He looked to Izuru for help. The man only grimaced in empathy.

Ichigo sighed and ducked his head, concentrating on his food. But then Rangiku's words truly registered in his mind. "He likes... men?" She had said it so offhandedly. In the Hunter Tribe those words were always whispered from ear-to-ear, never said out in the open. He quickly glanced around the group; no one seemed disturbed by it.

She grinned and nodded. "You have not notice?"

Rukia frowned. "He made it fairly obvious, Ichigo."

Ichigo coughed feeling heat rise to his cheeks again. "I... noticed. I was just unsure... if things like that were allowed."

Rukia narrowed her eyes at him, but Momo and Rangiku jumped at the chance to question him further.

Everyone was expected to help clean up after breakfast. Ichigo was almost shocked to see Leaders Kyoraku and Ukitake gathering up dirty dishes. But then, he also hadn't expected the stone goblet to be pushed into his hands either. It held a warmed mead of some sort; he could taste foreign spices and few familiar ones like ginger and nutmeg. Everyone had chores in the camp and was expected to help out in whichever way they could. Not even the leaders were exempt from some things.

Toushiro came up to him a little while after they had finished cleaning up and told him that Izuru would be teaching him how to ride Zangetsu. Ichigo was excited at first, but then remembered the journey to the camp and how sore his thighs were.

Zangetsu began chirping once he saw Ichigo. He abandoned his spot curled up against Hyourinmaru and trotted over to Ichigo and Iruzu, tail happily swinging in the air.

Izuru chuckled. "I've never seen him so happy before."

"Oh, so this isn't normal for him?" Ichigo scratched him behind his ears as Zangetsu shoved his face against his chest.

"No, he is a bit goofy sometimes, but usually younglings are. Hyourinmaru keeps him in check, however."

Ichigo glanced to the other dragons. He had expected more Riders, yet he had never seen so many dragons in one place. There were dragons ranging from dusky grey to fiery red -there was even a pale yellow one, the colour of straw. They were all lying tangled up, like a nest of snakes, under a massive lean-to shelter. He didn't realise that he was holding his breath until Izuru clapped him on his back.

"I didn't know that this many dragons existed."

"These are mostly our nesting females. You can tell; the ones with the big bellies."

Ichigo couldn't tell. He could only make out Hyourinmaru and Shirayuki and even then he couldn't tell which was which. He probably wouldn't have recognised Zangetsu if he hadn't come up to him.

"Do they normally curl up all together like that?"

"Usually for warmth. At home we have large stables that we can light a fire in for them. They are drawn to heat, but unfortunately they can't safely venture south."

"Is cold dangerous for them?"

He shook his head, "No, they are very resilient, especially the frost dragons. I've seen the few we have dive into water in the height of winter." Ichigo shivered at the thought.

"Frost dragons?"

"We'll never start your lessons, if I pause to answer every question. Come, we'll talk while we get prepared."

Izuru lead him to a small tent near the dragon's shelter. The inside smelt strongly of leather and oils. There were packs, blankets, saddles, and other supplies that he didn't recognise. Izuru studied the saddles, chewing the inside of his cheek.

"We might have to have Zangetsu try on a few. He's never been ridden before." He then fitted Ichigo with a pair of leggings and selected a few blankets. The leggings felt thick and bulky, but Izuru assured Ichigo that they needed to be.

"Wabisuke," Izuru called, once they were back outside. There was a soft grunt and a slender purple-grey dragon wiggled its way out from under a smaller reddish one. It ambled up to Izuru and nudged his arm gently. Izuru patted it's forehead as it regarded him with soulful plum coloured eyes.

"It knows its name?"

"He. They all do, but some choose when to respond, and usually only to their bonded person. Like Ryūjin-Jakka," he pointed to a large dragon whose scales were the colour of shifting flames. "He's the chief's dragon and the alpha of the pack. He listens to no one expect the chief himself. We suspected him to be hard of hearing, but that wasn't the case; he was simply ignoring us."

Ichigo chuckled. "Like Hyourinmaru."

"He's another difficult one. I don't know what Toushiro did to gain his trust; he's the only dragon that will snap at people. The others might growl, but never bite."

"Has he ever hurt anyone?" Ichigo asked, shocked.

"We all know to avoid him when he's in a mood. Anyway, shall we get started?"

After the dragons were saddled, Izuru lead him a ways from the camp, to a place where the trees were a bit further apart from one another.

"This isn't Ideal for learning, but we won't be doing anything too difficult."

He taught him the easiest way to mount and dismount, how to adjust his saddle straps, and how to guide Zangetsu with his legs. There were no reigns, and up in the air verbal commands were next to useless. At first Ichigo felt guilty about digging his heels into Zangetsu's sides, but Izuru assured him that it didn't hurt. Zangetsu would definitely let him know if something hurt. He demonstrated on Wabisuke, guiding him around and about the trees, and then attached a length of leather to the pommel of Zangetu's saddle to have him trail behind them. Zangetsu had never been ridden before, but since he was bonded with Ichigo, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt him and kept on looking over his shoulder to check if he was alright. Their progress was slow and a dragon's gait was uneven; Ichigo found his thighs and torso having to do much work to compensate for all the shifting and bouncing. He wasn't looking forward to flying.

...

Ichigo had never felt so sore in his life. He had been on top of Zangetsu for most of the day yet again, and his thighs and bottom had taken the brunt of it. He grunted as he eased himself down onto the pallet, flopping onto his back when his legs gave out.

Toushiro scoffed from his place on one of the stools. "You will get used to it."

"Soon I hope," Ichigo grunted.

"You are just learning you can't expect it to be smoothly."

Ichigo huffed. "I would like that it didn't hurt so much."

"I thought you were warrior?"

Ichigo groaned, forcing himself to sit up. Toushiro was staring at him, one corner of his mouth quirked upwards. "You didn't spend the entire day sitting on a dragon."

"I have in past."

Ichigo blinked; he really had no right to complain. He rubbed his hand together and held them out to the fire. Toushiro stood and went to rummage in one of his chests.

"Here," he held out a small, clay jar. "For sore muscles."

Ichigo took it and unscrewed it. The tent immediately smelt strongly of a peppery herb. He dipped his fingers into a thick salve. "Thank you."

Toushiro nodded and sat back down on his stool. He began to comb his hair while Ichigo rubbed the salve into his thighs. It tingled, getting warmer the more he worked it into his skin. He would have liked to rub it all over his body.

"We are still waiting for two more scouts to come back," Toushiro said, "then we make map of safe areas and bring dragons to nest. I am sorry, Ichigo, but I do not think Chief will be much help until after eggs hatch."

Ichigo sighed, "How long will that take?"

"If scouts return in next few days, it will take us three more to map and week to get to nest site." He chewed the inside of his cheek. "Some egg take month or two for hatching."

Ichigo drew in a sharp breath, putting the lid back onto the jar and setting on the ground by the pallet.

"I am sorry-"

"No, it isn't your fault. I know my plight isn't a priority. You did what you could." He felt his stomach sink. He did have until the first day of winter before his agreement was forfeit. This was a setback, but he could use it to the best of his abilities. He could train to get stronger, learn how to fly with Zangetsu. The Hunters would never expect him to attack with the strength of a dragon.

"Dragon are most venerable when nesting; we cannot afford to lose more to Hunters."

"I understand," Ichigo said glumly, staring into the fire.

"Your sisters-"

"They are safe for now."

"I will help when time comes."

"Thank you."

He nearly jumped when he felt a pair of arms gently snake around his waist. Toushiro knelt behind him, resting his forehead to his shoulder. Ichigo hadn't even heard him move.

"You are good brother, for what you do to save your sisters. If Momo was in trouble, I would do same as you are."

Ichigo placed a hand over Toushiro's. "Thank you."

They stayed like that for a while. Ichigo's stomach churned cold. Of course the Riders would have other duties. It was a stroke of luck that he had found Toushiro and Rukia in the first place, but now it was time for reality to hit. The Riders were not going to swoop in to his rescue. They had other problems, problems which were greater than him. He clenched his jaw as bitterness sat in the back of his throat. He needed to think of a new plan. A quicker plan.

Toushiro shuffled behind him, pressing his cold nose to the hollow behind Ichigo's ear. "You smell."

Ichigo snorted. "Sorry, I was doing hard work all day. We can't all be able to attend leisurely meetings."

"Leisurely?"

"For relaxation." Ichigo grinned, craning his neck to face him. Was that a pout he saw on Toushiro's face? He spun around, wrapping his arms around Toushiro and tackling him to the pallet. Toushiro squawked as he fell back against the pelts and Ichigo nuzzled against the side of his neck, holding him tightly. He felt Toushiro's chest rise and fall as he sighed, then he threaded his fingers through Ichigo's hair.

"I know you worry," he mumbled softly, "I wish I had better answer for you."

Ichigo rolled, propping himself up on his elbows so that he was leaning over Toushiro. "You promised you will give me your help when the time comes."

Toushiro's gaze could have shattered stone with its intensity. "You have my word."

Ichigo shivered, but not from the cold. He dipped his head, pressing his lips firmly against Toushiro's. Toushiro met him with as much intensity as his gaze had held. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around Ichigo's neck, tangling his fingers in his hair, while Ichigo shuffled around for a better angle; slotting himself between Toushiro's legs. Their chests heaved against one another's, lips pressed firmly together until Toushiro's mouth opened against his, as his hand at the back of Ichigo's head guided him deeper. Their mouths moved clumsily, front teeth knocking a few times; Ichigo still wasn't sure of what to do with his tongue. He felt embarrassed at his inexperience, but still found himself wanting more – a heat growing in his stomach. So, he slipped his fingers under the hem of Toushiro's tunic, pressing his palm against the firm muscle of his side then trailing upwards to his ribs, relishing at the feeling of his skin. Toushiro gasped, breaking from the kiss, slightly shifting away from Ichigo's hand.

Ichigo licked his lips, suddenly parched as he looked down at Toushiro. His pale cheeks were flushed, white hair spread out on the pelt beneath him.

"This morning," Ichigo began, "I did not understand..." he chewed the inside of his cheek.

Toushiro tilted his head to the side, his arms loosening around Ichigo's neck.

"When you asked if I wanted to keep this a secret, I did not know how things were done here. I thought that it would not be allowed."

"But you think different?"

"Rangiku helped me to understand."

Toushiro winced. "It would be her. What else did she tell you?"

Ichigo grinned, reaching up to twist a lock of Toushiro's hair around his forefinger. "That you have a preference for strong, tall men with red hair."

Toushiro gapped a bit then flushed deeper. "I," he muttered something in the Rider language. "At least now we are agree."

Ichigo nodded. "Things are done much differently here than... my old home. I would appreciate if you tell me... next time."

Toushiro swallowed and nodded. It hadn't exactly been a reproach, but Ichigo was not one to appreciate hints and euphemisms. The Hunters had been straight forward, demanding what they wanted. He didn't realise that he had gotten used to that until now. Or maybe he was just unused to navigating the language of romance. Toushiro shifted underneath him, and he realised that he might have been crushing him. He rolled to the side, throwing an arm under his head. Toushiro remained on his back and Ichigo watched as his chest slowly rose and fell. It was hypnotising, his eyelids started to droop as a full-body exhaustion settled over him.

He startled awake, when Toushiro sat up. "I think is time for sleep, no?" he whispered.

Ichigo hummed, remaining in his position and watching as Toushiro got up and removed his tunic. Lithe muscles shifted and stretched under pale skin. He wanted to reach out and touch him, trace his spine from his neck down to where it dipped under his breechcloth. Toushiro settled back onto the pallet with his comb and began working a few knots loose from his hair. Ichigo usually kept his own hair cropped short at the back and sides, the top held a little length that he usually gathered with a length of leather. It was a style common amongst most of the Hunters, including the women. Yuzu would have loved to grow her hair out like Toushiro, but she had been afraid of standing out too much. Soon she wouldn't have to. He brought his hand up to his own hair, running his fingers through it and shaking loose some clumps. He hadn't cut it in a while, rather Yuzu hadn't. Toushiro looked over and gave a small smile before returning to his task. Eventually he tied it up and lay back against the pelts, pushing Ichigo over. He pulled a pelt over the both of them and settled against Ichigo's chest. Ichigo pressed his lips briefly to Toushiro's forehead. He felt Toushiro shiver and a thin, yet muscled, arm snaked around his waist.

The next day followed the same pattern; they woke up, had breakfast then Ichigo would have lessons with Izuru. He was also assigned basic duties: helping to cook, feeding the dragons, and mending supplies.

On his third day with the Riders he was approached by the Matron of the clan – Retsu Unohana. He was unsure if that mean she was Chief Yamamoto's wife or that she was just the most senior woman. He hadn't been sure if it was appropriate to ask when he was first introduced. She was a petite woman with thick, dark hair, but her stern expression created an intimidating air about her. Ichigo didn't want to offend her in any way. She came up to him while he was oiling a few saddles.

"Ichigo?" she asked, sitting down next to him and picking up a rag to get to work on a saddle herself. Ichigo eyes widened. A high-classed Hunter would never have been caught dead doing such menial tasks. "I hope I am pronouncing that correctly." She had no hint of an accent; it was almost unnerving after hearing the thick, guttural Rider accents for so long.

"Yes, ma'am." He nodded, keeping his eyes to the ground.

"How are your lessons with Izuru coming along?"

"Well enough, thank you. He's been pleased with my progress."

"And yourself?"

"I would be much happier if it didn't make my behind so sore."

She laughed softly. "If that is the least of your troubles I am glad. It was a relief to hear that Zangetsu finally bonded with someone."

Ichigo tilted his head as he worked some oil in to a cracked bit of leather. "Is it really that much of a problem? I don't know much about dragons."

"Zangetsu is still young, and it isn't unheard of a dragon remaining un-bonded well into adult hood. But with a male of his size it's easier to keep him under control if he's bonded to a human."

"Easier to control?"

"For example, if he became aggressive while looking for a mate. It's much easier to curb a bonded dragon's anger – they will never hurt their partner and respond better to their commands"

"Oh."

"I wanted to talk to you about your bonding. We usually hold a ceremony for newly bonded humans and dragons. If you are not opposed to it we would like to formally invite you to become a member of our tribe."

Ichigo dug his rag so hard against the saddle that he grazed his finger. "I... I haven't done anything to earn your trust like this."

Unohana smiled. "Toushiro and Rukia told us how you helped them to discover new traps and mark safe territory."

"That's not... I..."

"And you have already bonded with one of our dragons, also, possibly, one of our leaders as well."

He blushed at that. "I..."

"Unless you do not wish to join us?"

"No, I mean... I would be honoured to."

"I am glad to hear this. I will join you and Izuru during your lesson tomorrow."

But, the next day, during breakfast, a Rider that Ichigo wasn't familiar with came up to the leaders. Ichigo was sitting with Toushiro when he delivered a frantic message in the Rider tongue. The entire camp fell silent and he saw Toushiro's face harden. He was about to ask what happened when Toushiro stood up and left without a word. Ichigo swallowed thickly, looking down into his breakfast bowl as the back of his neck started to itch. He had no idea of what was going on and felt like an outsider, an intruder, with the way the happy chatter had been suddenly snuffed. Rukia leaned over to him, and set a hand on his shoulder.

"Come with me," she mumbled.

He set down his bowl and followed her away from the fire pit.

"What happened?"

She sighed heavily. "That was one of our scouts. We were tracking a few wild dragons, just to make sure that they would remain safe and now we can't find one of them."

Ichigo swallowed. "Do you think-"

"The Hunters most likely got to her."

"Her?"

"Yes. A young, green dragoness, she was about to have her first brood."

Ichigo's eyes widened and bitterness rose in his throat. Rukia was clenching her fists and her violet eyes read rage.

"This is why Hunters are our sworn enemies."

Ichigo clenched his jaw. He could not possibly tell them that he had seen the Hunters dragging the dragoness' dead body through their camp. He could not possibly tell them about the celebrations and the fire, or about how they smashed the eggs on the ground. He wanted to vomit, his stomach was bubbling and the sweat meal he had been eating a while ago turned sour. He looked to his feet, staring at the flattened blades of grass. Rukia tapped his shoulder again.

"Come."

She led him to the dragon stable, moving quickly – nearly running through the camp – where they saw Toushiro saddling Hyourinmaru. Momo and Rangiku were already surrounding him talking in hurried Rider. Toushiro looked furious; Ichigo hadn't seen that expression on his face before, but it nearly made him cower. His eyes were full of ice and his jaw was clenched tightly. Rukia walked over to them, and blocked Toushiro's path to Hyourinmaru. Toushiro hesitated to shove her to the side. She said something sharply in Rider and Toushiro halted. Ranigku swooped in behind him, and hugged him tightly, before pointing to Ichigo and stepping back.

Ichigo froze, locking eyes with Toushiro just as a lone gust of wind blew his long hair into his face. The ice melted from his gaze and he suddenly looked incredibly sad, tired, and small. His shoulders hunched and he rubbed his temples. Ichigo wanted to go to him, wrap his arms around him and kiss him. But, he remained stuck to his spot, staring. He felt bad enough for the dragon; he couldn't imagine what the Riders felt like. They had devoted their entire lives to saving the species. They lived with them, grew with them, and had special bonds. It must have felt like losing a family member.

"Ichigo," Toushiro called to him. His voice was soft.

He slowly walked up to the small group, aware of how loud his footsteps were. Hyourimaru glared at him with ruby-red eyes, but allowed him to come close. Toushiro reached out for his hand, letting out a deep breath.

"We unsaddle Hyourinmaru," Rangiku said quietly. "Go do what you need."

...

Toushiro lit a stick of incense, setting it in a small pot on a delicately carved wooden table in his tent. The legs were made up of four tiny dragons, stretching their necks to the sky. The surface was inlayed with polished stone of a beautiful blue colour and the edges were carved to look like clouds, or smoke. Ichigo would have called it an altar of sorts; there were several short candles, a few bundles of herbs, a yellowed dragon tooth, a circlet, made up of small metal flowers and turquoise gems, and of course the incense holder. He hadn't seen Toushiro pay much attention to the table before now. He sunk to his knees, closing his eyes and bowing his head as smoke rose in swirling patterns overhead, disappearing through the smoke hole at the top of tent.

Ichigo wouldn't consider himself to be religious; he did call out to the Cynosure when he was in need, but he had never genuinely prayed to the stars. The Hunters followed no other religion than strength and war. And while Yuzu had tried to keep their mother's traditions alive, the three of them hadn't put much faith into something that had most likely forgotten them. He watched as Toushiro clasped his hands deep in prayer, then looked to the smoke rising from the incense. It gave of a deep, earthy smell of foreign herbs that filled the entirety of the tent. Yuzu would have liked the smell. Ichigo looked down at his hands on his lap; he was sitting on Toushiro's pallet, acutely aware of the sound of his own breathing. The entire camp seemed to be in mourning. As they had walked back from the stables, he had noticed that a glum air had fallen upon the Riders, everything was quiet, even the dragons were more subdued.

Toushiro brought his hands to his face pressing his forefingers to the centre of his forehead. Ichigo felt out of place, as if he was intruding on something sacred, but if he joined in he would ruin something with his clumsy, half-hearted prayers to something he didn't quite believe in. Eventually Toushiro stood, brushing off his knees and turning to Ichigo.

"Her soul will be guided to the stars." Toushiro said softly as he sat down next to Ichigo. He folded his arms across his knees and sighed deeply. Ichigo wrapped an arm around his shoulders to comfort him.

"If that's what happens," he muttered more to himself than Toushiro.

"You do not pray?" Toushiro asked.

Ichigo sighed. "My mother used to, when I was very young. Once she was gone I stopped. I didn't see the point in praying to anything that had forgotten me."

"The stars have not forgotten you."

Ichigo smiled bitterly. If only Toushiro knew. "Sometimes it feels that way." If the Cynosure really looked after all humans, then why had he ended up with the Hunters? Why had his mother died?

Toushiro turned to face him, his clothes rustling against the pelts on his pallet. One of his hands found Ichigo's and he held it tight. "Believe when I say, they have not."

Ichigo shrugged.

"What do you believe in?"

Ichigo tilted his head. "I don't know. Myself, my family... my strength."

Toushiro regarded him. "You have lived most on your own?"

"With my sisters."

"Well, now you have Riders. The stars have not forgotten you."

The rest of the day was fairly quiet. Most of the Riders were silent and glum. It was hard to tell with Izuru, however, glum seemed to be the man's main disposition. Zangetsu sensed the heaviness in the atmosphere and kept on nudging Ichigo with his snout to see if anything was wrong with him personally. Ichigo scratched behind his ears to assure him that he was alright. Unohana had sent her apologies, saying that she was preoccupied with the death of the wild dragon and would be meeting with them the day after instead. At least, that gave Ichigo another day to decide what he truly wanted.

Toushiro was already in his tent by the time Ichigo got back that evening, and had stripped down to his breechcloth in preparation for sleep.

"Are you tired?" Ichigo asked.

Toushiro looked up suddenly, seeming to have been lost in thought before Ichigo arrived. "We had long discussion. There is much to prepare for." He went over to Ichigo, wrapping his arms around his waist. "Including your bonding with Zangetsu."

"I..."

"I am happy you wish to join us."

Ichigo smiled, returning Toushiro's embrace. "I can't very well leave Zangetsu again, can I?"

Toushiro rested his head against his chest.

"Or you."

He looked up, his chin resting against Ichigo's sternum. His eyes were wide, but there was a small smile on his mouth, and a light blush on his cheeks. Ichigo cupped the side of his face, running his fingers through his hair, and bent down to press their lips together. Toushiro's arms instinctively wrapped around Ichigo's neck, his palms cool to the touch. Ichigo held him tightly one arm around his waist, the other splayed between his shoulder blades. Toushiro rose up to the balls of his feet meeting Ichigo halfway. His lips were slightly chapped from the dry air, but Ichigo was sure that his own were worse off and he wasn't complaining.

The fire snapped and crackled behind them as they broke apart. Ichigo tucked a lock of Toushiro's hair behind his hair, letting his knuckles rest against his cheek. Toushiro's eyes fluttered shut and he leaned into Ichigo's touch.

"As long as you have no objection," Toushiro mumbled softly.

Ichigo shook his head, despite Toushiro's eyes being closed. "No. None."

A teal eye cracked open and Toushiro pulled him back until they stood at the edge of his sleeping pallet. He slowly sat down on it, urging Ichigo to follow. Ichigo obeyed eagerly, wrapping Toushiro's arms back around him and searching out his mouth for a slow kiss. He leaned into Toushiro, palms pressing into the pelts near his hips. He could feel the Rider's chest heaving against his as they kissed despite the slow, almost lazy motions of his tongue and lips. Ichigo, himself, felt warm all over, hot even – especially between his legs. Toushiro fell back on the pallet, brining Ichigo with him as he clutched his shoulders. Ichigo managed to catch himself before crushing him, and broke the kiss with a raised eyebrow. Toushiro looked up at him, his pupils blown and his lips red and wet, but he was smirking as he drew lazy patterns on Ichigo's shoulders with his fingernails.

"You're in a pleasant mood tonight," Ichigo observed, settling one of his palms against Toushiro's waist, and drumming his fingers against the taught muscle.

Toushiro twitched at the touch. "Yes..." he admitted slowly. "I was not expecting bonding ceremony."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Toushiro cupped the side of his face, brushing his thumb against Ichigo's cheek, then lips. He lifted his head from the pallet and delivered a swift peck to Ichigo's mouth. "I was... nervous that they would not accept you easily. But that is worry from past." He gently guided Ichigo's face down to his, nipping his bottom lip before delving into a deep kiss that stole Ichigo's breath from his lungs.

"Do you not readily accept outsiders?" Ichigo asked breathlessly once they broke apart. He stroked Toushiro's side, fingertips playing against the edge of his breechcloth.

Toushiro hummed. "We have in past. If you have my trust you have trust of others. But usually if one brings back an outsider it is to..." he trailed off, his flushed cheeks darkening.

Ichigo tilted his head, bringing his hand to rest against Toushiro's stomach, pressing his palm into his abdominal muscles. Toushiro was really all lean muscle, there was not a bit of fat anywhere on his body. "To what?" he prodded.

Toushiro licked his lips, breaking eye contact and squirming slightly. "It is common to bring back outsiders for marrying."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Oh..." was the only thing he could think of to say.

"But is not reason I brought you back," Toushiro scrambled to reassure him.

Ichigo chuckled. "I know. Although, it would explain what Ran and Momo have been hinting at."

Toushiro groaned. "It would be those two."

Ichigo dipped his head, kissing his cheek. "I don't mind. Besides it's not far from the truth, is it?"

Toushiro scoffed. "I... I suppose no." He swallowed. "These are our tradition, Ichigo. I do not expect you to follow."

"If I am going to become one of you, then I should learn to." He did not know what inspired him to say what he did next. "Besides, I thought I was already your lover."

Toushiro's eyes widened slightly, but his mouth curled into a wide smile, which he covered with his palm, of course. Ichigo gently pushed his hand from his face, tracing his bottom lip. "Almost my lover," he corrected.

Ichigo tilted his head in question, but instead of answering Toushiro pushed on his chest, switching their positions. He climbed onto Ichigo's hips, leaning over to kiss him. Ichigo held Toushiro's waist, rubbing his palms against the space between his hipbones and where his ribs ended. Heat grew between his legs, pooling in his chest and stomach. Toushiro's hands deftly undid the clasp at his throat, pushing his cloak away to bare his chest. Ichigo moaned softly into the kiss, as Toushiro's hands explored his body, teasing his collarbones, pressing into his chest, and brushing against his nipples. The tent had never felt hotter. And despite Toushiro's usually cool fingers, his touch felt like fire.

Toushiro broke from the kiss, pressing his lips to Ichigo's jaw, to trail down his neck. "You are dressed too much," he grumbled.

Ichigo's heart was pounding, and slight tremors ran through his body. He swallowed thickly, rising from the pallet to look at Toushiro questioningly. Toushiro sat back on Ichigo's hips, scoffing softly and smoothing Ichigo's hair from his forehead.

"What?" He asked.

Ichigo shook his head, squeezing Toushiro's waist gently. The Rider's chest was speckled red in a deep blush and he could see him breathing heavily. Ichigo let his eyes trail from his face down. Down to his chest, the defined muscles on his stomach, to his shallow navel. His thighs were splayed wide to accommodate Ichigo's much bigger body, and the muscles were pulled taught against his skin. Ichigo dared to run his palms over them, against a raised scar that ran horizontal across his left and smooth the small bit of thin hair that covered them. Toushiro's breath hitched slightly and he settled his hands over Ichigo's. Ichigo nearly pulled back, afraid that he had done something wrong, but Toushiro let out a breathy sigh.

"Touch me, min kjære."

Ichigo's mouth went dry as Toushiro guided his hands up his sides, up his ribs, pushing his palms into his chest. Never in a million years had he pictured himself touching another like this. The thought of touching a Hunter had repulsed him, and, to be perfectly honest, none of them had been offering. Who would have been willing to dirty their hands by being with a Sceyh like him? He licked his lips as Toushiro arched around his hands, his mouth falling open in a silent plea of pleasure. Ichigo rolled his thumbs against his nipples and Toushiro's eyes fell shut again. His hair spilled over his shoulder and covered half of his face; he roughly pulled it back, tucking the longer strands behind his ear. Ichigo almost felt giddy at the sight before him; Toushiro chewing on his bottom lip, chest heaving as he palmed it. They had touched each other before, but not like this. Usually they were wrapped around one another, kissing deeply before they fell asleep. Now this seemed like they had a purpose, or at least Toushiro did. Ichigo was very unfamiliar with where this was heading. But he couldn't deny that he loved the look on Toushiro's face and the way his soft moans sounded. Toushiro arched his back, pushing his chest against Ichigo's palms, and pressing himself firmly against Ichigo's hips. Ichigo held his breath feeling the heat between his legs increase as he began to harden. He bit his bottom lip unsure if he should say anything or not. Toushiro bent down again, and Ichigo let his hands slide down to settle on his thighs again. Toushiro tenderly cupped the side of Ichigo face before kissing him.

He could feel Toushiro's breath in rapid rushes of air as his mouth moved against his. He hissed softly into the kiss as Toushiro grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled.

"Min kjære," he mumbled against Ichigo's lips, between kisses.

"Yes?" Ichigo breathed. He didn't know what the word meant, but he had a good idea. He threaded a hand into his hair, marvelling at the silkiness, and wetting his lips with his tongue as Toushiro drew back.

He massaged the spot in Ichigo's hair that he had been tugging at. "Min kjære," he repeated, pressing his lips to Ichigo's jaw. "Tonight you truly become my lover."

Ichigo swallowed thickly feeling his breechcloth become unbearably tight at his groin. "I... um..." he didn't know what to say, or do. To the Stars above how he wanted this, but he had no inkling of how it was supposed to go. Toushiro sensed his hesitation, maybe from how he was tensing his muscles in his jaw and sat up with a small frown marring his face.

"You do not want to?"

Ichigo swallowed thickly, closing his eyes for a moment. "I want to, but..." he let the air in his lungs out in a swift rush. "I've never done this before. I do not know how-"

Ichigo would have laughed at the shocked look on Toushiro's face if he hadn't been so preoccupied. "Forgive me, Ichigo," he said, scrambling to get off, "I thought... I assumed that... I am sorry-"

"No," Ichigo breathed, stopping Toushiro from going anywhere. "I said I wanted to."

Toushiro shook his head slowly. "You are virgin, this is not the way to-"

"I said I wanted to."

"Is too quick, no?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, I mean if we..." he felt himself blushing. "If we are going to be married in the future, I don't see what's wrong with us doing it now."

Toushiro's frown deepened. "We have had no discussion of marrying..."

"I thought we just did."

Toushiro pulled his hair behind his shoulder; a strange expression flickered across his face. "You should take time to consider this. I do not want to rush you."

Ichigo breathed out roughly through his nose. "I just said I wanted to. What is the problem if I'm a virgin? Why should it matter?"

Toushiro shook his head as he swung his leg over Ichigo's hips, and settled to the side of him. "It matters." He sighed softly. "I will not force you-"

"The damned stars," Ichigo shouted, "I said I wanted to!" He sat upright, not quite where this sudden bout of anger was coming from. Maybe it was because Toushiro was trying to decide what he wanted for him. Or maybe he was simply upset at his own inexperience. Either way, he had lost his hardness. He ground his teeth together and clenched his palms. "You don't get to decide this for me. I can speak for myself."

Toushiro remained emotionless at his side. "Calm yourself, Ichigo."

Ichigo balled the pelt in his fist. "I'm calm."

Toushiro eyed him and was silent for a long moment before he sighed and brought his hand up to cup Ichigo's jaw. Some of the anger in Ichigo's belly disappeared at his touch. "I will not make decision for you. I do not understand how _you_ can be virgin, but... first time is supposed to be special, is supposed to be with thought, and love. Not rushed like this, not some in-the-moment thing."

"But you said I was your lover." He knew he was pouting, but he didn't care.

He pecked Ichigo's cheek. "Yes, and you are. And that is why it should be special. Not tonight."

Ichigo sighed, flopping back against the pelts.

"I want you to think," Toushiro instructed, lying down next to him and resting his head on his shoulder. "Maybe it is after your bonding, and you have truly joined us. Maybe after we have talked more about this... marrying." Ichigo felt himself blush at that. "Maybe after egg have hatched. I want you to be absolutely positive that is what you want. No room for doubt."

Ichigo let out a deep breath, looking up at the roof of the tent. "Was that how it was for you?"

"How it was for me is not important-"

"That sounds rather hypocritical."

"I..." he felt Toushiro shake his head against his shoulder. "Yes, it was."

A part of Ichigo wanted to ask what happened then. If it was supposed to be as special as Toushiro made it out to be then how come he wasn't already married? And what of the Hunters? The Hunters hadn't seemed to care about making anything special. Coupling ceremonies were the highlight of every marriage, but even then he had accidentally come across a Hunter with her arms thrown around bulging shoulders, legs spread wide as a Trelis man had thrust into her in the shadows behind a tent. He shook his head trying to get the image of two grunting hunters out of his mind.

"Oh." He shut his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. The Riders seemed to have more traditions than the Hunters. Many of them were very confusing.

Toushiro threw an arm over his chest, kissing him gently on the cheek once more. "Promise me that, min kjære. Promise me you will think and not rush."

"I promise," he muttered, turning to face Toushiro.

"Good," Toushiro smiled and Ichigo couldn't stay angered for much longer. Toushiro was simply looking out for him. He wanted the best for him. Ichigo couldn't fault him for that. "Let us get ready for sleeping, no?"

* * *

 **Sorry for the wait guys! was hit with a massive writer's block, then kinda lost inspiration. But no worries, I found it again! And made some cover art as an apology.**

 **-Mymomomo**


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